


Natural Born Raiders

by wifebeast__s



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/M, I have been wanting to play a Raider since this game came out, Sexy Times, SoSu Dani, Thank you Nuka World, explicit content, of all kinds - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2016-09-13
Packaged: 2018-08-13 01:54:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 25,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7957834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wifebeast__s/pseuds/wifebeast__s
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dani owes the Commonwealth nothing, and she's finally found her place in the Wasteland.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nuka World - not quite what I expected

**Author's Note:**

> It bothered me, sometimes, playing a Sole Survivor who was inherently good. Like...the Wasteland sucks, and everything was taken from them (her), and she owes no one anything, but everyone's like "hey...you lost your son, but could you do me a solid and defeat my enemies?"
> 
> So with Nuka World, getting to be completely selfish...I love it.
> 
> And Gage. Yes. 
> 
> Anyway. This is going to be multiple chapters. I don't know how many, and I don't know what the average length will be, but here it is.

Gauntlet was a misnomer, Dani thought.

It wasn't pleasant, but she had traversed the Glowing Sea, so it was just an inconvenience at this point. It was still better than working every second to avoid the responsibilities that people had kept throwing at her feet. _Another settlement needs my help_ , she thought with a grimace. Fucking hell, couldn't those people fix their own damn problems? She had a few of her own.

The quick, successive beeping tore her from her thoughts. She worked quickly to disarm the mine, then picked it up, “Right. Gauntlet.”

With a renewed focus, she continued on through the maze of body parts and traps. She still whistled, though.

The locker room was a nice touch. The voice on the intercom, deep and gruff, was not a bad voice to hear just before potentially going to her death. With water gun in-hand. Because why the fuck not, she mused.

When the damn thing actually worked, she almost missed her chance at hurting that Colder guy, she was laughing so hard.

“I'll be damned,” she murmured, looking at the soaker.

Reality came back quickly, in the form of pain.

“Right. Right. _Shit_.”

She spritzed the water at the power armor until it sparked, then she patiently loaded her shotgun, took aim, and shot. It took a few rounds of the back and forth, until it almost felt repetitive to her. But, as always, she came out on top, spitting down at the corpse, “Jackass.”

The roar of the crowd came through the haze of her own thoughts and adrenaline then. She turned slowly to take in her surroundings. She was in a cage, and there were Raiders rattling the chain link, shouting with blood lust and/or surprise.

The deep voice from the locker room intercom came to her from a glass box to her left. She made her way to it, her eyes still scanning the audience.

When she finally turned them onto the source of the voice, she was surprised. The man who had helped her wore standard Raider gear – a heavy chest plate over an army green tank top that left his, _truly magnificent_ arms uncovered. He looked solid. Over his right eye he wore a metal patch. Though she liked the new look of her mohawk grown out and pushed to one side, he looked delicious in his own more traditional one. 

Of course, ogling him had distracted her, so the only thing that came into focus was his name, Porter Gage, and then later, “you just got the job.”

She frowned. Another fucking settlement that needed her help?

Her face must have given away her distaste because he held up his hands – rough palms, she noted - “Look, all I'm asking is that you give it a chance. I promise it'll be worth it.”

She arched an eyebrow, “I'm listening.”

“This is a lot to take in, I realize. All you need to know is that three gangs run the show at Nuka World – the Disciples, the Operators, and the Pack. And, yeah,” he sighed, “if the names don't give it away, these ain't your typical Raiders.”

Dani offered a wry grin, as she went about stashing the caps and ammo that she had pulled off of Colter's corpse.

“These morons don't exactly play nice with each other.”

“Morons?”

He shrugged, “Just call 'em as I see it.”

Dani offered a brief nod.

“Anyway,” the man continued, “thanks to Colter, this place is a powder keg, just waiting to blow sky high. But I think you have what it takes to turn things around, keep them from tearin' each other apart.”

She snorted at that. Her eyes scanned the room again. There was clearly wealth here. And Raiders weren't going to be looking to her for protection or guidance. She'd most likely be able to do minimal work, if any at all.

She met Gage's eyes – well, eye – and grinned, “Sounds like fun.”

“I was hoping you'd say that. I'm sure you have questions, but this ain't the place. Meet me at the Overboss's – it's yours now. The Fizztop Grille, right on top of that mountain. Just let me get that door for you.”

He stepped to the nearby terminal, typed in the requisite commands. She watched his fingers move on the keyboard appreciatively. Then the door opened, and he was walking away.

She stretched her shoulders, her neck, and followed him out of the building. Once outside, she watched his general direction but stayed back in order to explore for a bit on her own. She stepped into the market, noticing with vague curiosity the collars on some of the stall vendors, though she didn't talk to any of them to ask.

According the maps spread every couple of feet throughout the place, Nuka World was made up of zones, and it was huge. It would be easy to get lost in there, set up shop, and never speak to another settler, initiate, synth, or anything else ever again. 

Damn her curiosity. It had gotten her neck-deep in the Commonwealth's business, and while she could stare at this colorful map and fantasize about becoming a hermit, she knew damn well she'd be marching up to the restaurant to hear what Gage had to say. Because she didn't know what he was going to say, and she didn't do well with not knowing. 

With a sigh, she turned from the road that would lead her to solitude and began the trek to Fizztop Mountain.


	2. Optometry and Metalurgy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our journey begins in the Galaxy Zone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter I wrote for this is like chapter 4 or 5...so I'm concerned that everything up to then will feel rushed. Some flavor text from the game is included, but modified...because that's kind of the point, right?

The glasses were ridiculous, but she hadn't made it – she glanced at her Pip Boy – 10 months in this living hell without having a sense of humor about some things. 

She made a note of the latest clue before taking them off and replacing them with her normal, almost-the-right-prescription glasses. In the wasteland, her law degree was meaningless; who knew optometry would be the most secure course of study in this day and age? 

Behind her, Gage was digging through robot components, tugging out what looked like a biometric scanner, “Think this is worth anything?”

“Damnit, Gage, you ask me that every time. Yes. Yes, it is worth something.”

He snorted, “Yeah, I know, but you get so annoyed.”

She offered him a hand signal that most aptly covered her current instructions, and he only smiled wider. She grinned, as well. They had a good thing going, really. He didn't ask her for shit, and she didn't pressure him to play the way she did. He could hang back and shoot all day, as long as he didn't hit her with any stray bullets. 

They stood side-by-side now, studying the map of the sub-park.

“So,” she began, lighting a cigarette, “what next? Vault-Tec: Beyond Earth or Nuka Galaxy?”

“Which one do you think will have a t-shirt in my size?”

Dani cast her eyes on him, not bothering to hide the way they slid over the muscles of his chest and shoulders, “Neither. And if any of them do, I will personally burn them all.”

Gage arched an eyebrow, “I would also settle for a magnet,” he offered, tapping the metal wrappings of his chest armor.

He won this round. She barked a laugh, which led to a near fit. She was still giggling a minute later, when she was taking a swing with her bat at one of the Eye Bots that roamed the entire area. She nearly got jolted by a Protectron, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. Only when they had reduced the small band of robot fighters to even smaller piles of metal and wire did she finally calm down, whispering “magnet” to herself.

Gage could only grin. 

They settled on Vault Tec's exhibit, and Dani wouldn't admit that the idea alone was making her feel sick. She hated Vault-Tec more than she hated the wasteland. They should have just let them all die. Then they'd have been together.

_Prepared for the future, my ass._

“This is unsettling,” Gage muttered, as they entered a tunnel of streaking lights.

“I'd expect nothing less.”

More robots. More shooting. More pain. More swinging and hitting and smashing. It was never as satisfying, smashing a robot. It was exciting, sure, but not quite the same.

The worst part, though, by far, was seeing the Vault-Tec aesthetic. Gage said nothing as she repeatedly abused the walls and furniture inside the demo rooms. He was privy to what had happened, if only because she had poured it all out between pouring in whiskey one night, her eyes red and her hands trembling.

He hadn't held her. He hadn't touched her. He hadn't offered any platitudes or sycophantic sounds of empathy. He had grunted, “That sucks.”

And then she had laughed.

“Boss, I'm getting a headache,” he mumbled between sets, leaning against a wall for a moment. 

She should have put the pieces together before, of course, but it struck her then. Vault-Tec had to have been using this place for experiments, just like every other twisted shit they got their fingers into. Her suspicions were confirmed when she found a terminal with notes about those experiments.

“I'm sorry, Gage. I should have thought about it.”

“Don't apologize to me,” he practically barked.

She blinked at him – well, his tone. Before she could put him in his place, remind him that no one, no matter how trustworthy they might be, was allowed to take that tone with her, he continued.

“You don't have to take care of me, boss. I'm in this just like you, and we're going in blind. But _shit_ , aren't you having fun? I can handle a fucking headache.”

She grinned, “Yeah, I'm having fun.”

He nodded. No more needed to be said. They finished making their way through the exhibit with ruthless efficiency – he shot, and she pounded, and when they were walking through the doors to fresh air, she tossed a grenade behind them. The heat pushed at their backs, but they were far enough away when it detonated.

“You might say,” she offered, as if their conversation hadn't been interrupted with blazing a trail of righteous fury through an amusement park exhibit, “I'm having a blast.”

She gave him a look, waggled her eyebrows, and he simply groaned, “I take it back. You owe me an apology.”

They walked side-by-side through the park where they had already cleared any potential threats, stopping here and there to pick through debris or semi-intact areas. Caps were obviously abundant, and so was pre-war money. Dani had a hard time not trying to hoard it; it was worthless now, just paper and cloth that people used to repair old mattresses or clothes.

Optometrists and metalurgists – they had been prepared for the future. 

“Got a safe here, boss,” Gage called from across the walkway. He stood from behind a counter in what was left a souvenir store. 

As she approached, he gestured to the mannequin standing by the register, “See that shirt there? I'm thinkin' about takin' it.”

“I'm no Disciple, but I'm skilled enough with a blade, I would probably be able to cut off the sleeves. Hate to have your attire encumber your movement,” she offered.

He laughed and promptly got out of her way. Gage was good at many things – many things that involved thinking about ways to lead Raiders and killing. He was not good at picking locks.

Dani, however...having grown up on the wrong side of the wrong tracks, she had carried some real-world experience and knowledge with her into the suburbs. She had turned her back on her old life back then. But what was old was new once again. This was her penance, this wasteland. Except _fuck that_ because she had already given enough to the world.

She gently pried the bobby pin loose with her teeth, slid a screw driver from her back pocket and leaned down to examine the lock. She could feel Gage watching her, and she grinned, giving herself one moment of triumph before focusing on the task at hand.

It was an art form, learning the feel of the locks. She slid the bobby pin in, twisted it – it seemed to catch there. She tried turning the lock. It made some movement, but she could feel the bobby pin getting pinched. She took a deep breath, adjusted slightly, tried again. Two more small adjustments, and she heard, as much as felt, the tell-tale click.

“Ah. There it is,” she murmured, barely above a whisper. 

The door swung open, revealing their prize – some ammo, some cash, and a 10mm pistol.

“Want the gun?”

She felt heat against her back; Gage was leaning over her to peer in. She wanted to lean back. How long had it been since she'd been touched by a man? The heat dissipated, as he moved away, disinterested.

“Nah.”

She scooped up the ammo, distributed it, and turned away from the safe.

“You got nimble fingers, boss,” Gage wondered aloud. 

She grinned, “You have no idea.”

Before he could respond, she slid around him and, bat swinging by her side, made her way toward Nuka Galaxy.


	3. What we are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having cleared Dry Rock Gulch and discovered Nuka Dark, Dani reminisces on her life before and after the war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little introspection and flashback in Dry Rock Gulch. In fact, this backstory is an amalgamation of my two sole survivors - the one who did the BOS ending and the one who went straight to raiding, effectively ignoring the main quest and other factions. It was easier that way. Writing this also will require me to rework a later chapter. Whatevs!
> 
> Thanks, bee-tee-dubs, for all the kudos and comments! This story has been well received, and that makes me super happy.

If she ignored the bloodworm carcasses littering the ground around her, it really wasn't a bad place to make camp for a night. The bloodworm and ant carcasses. And the skeletal remains of park goers from a bygone era. And the debris everywhere. And the long-rotted trash of said park goers. 

Ok. If she focused on the night sky, the fire immediately in front of her, and the company, then it wasn't so bad.

Gage didn't seem too bothered by any of it, but then, he was born into this world. To be fair, the debris and trash wasn't so outside of the norm of her childhood.

Uh oh, she thought, the whiskey is doing its job. I'm feeling loquacious.

“As far as bases of operations go,” Gage was saying, “it ain't bad. Got a bunch of walls, a bunch of caps, a bunch of shit we take apart and sell.”

Dani chuckled, then sighed, “I remember when this place opened. It was a big deal, you know. I was young...too young. I begged and begged to come here.”

Gage was never sure what to say when the boss went into these moods. There she sat, not five feet from him, and yet she was worlds away. 

She lit a cigarette, shaking her head, then continued, her voice low and raspy, “Don't be fucking stupid, Dani, we can't afford that kind of shit.”

Silence fell for a time, as she wrestled with her demons. Gage poked at the fire and thought about opening a box of those snack cakes. He refused to use the words fancy or lad, so they were just fucking snack cakes. Nothing fancy about the ruins of this park, and he didn't know what the fuck a lad was supposed to be, but he sure as hell wasn't it.

“Anyway, it didn't matter,” she continued suddenly, as if she had been speaking the whole time, “I knew we couldn't go. Kids dream, is all. But when you live in a one bedroom apartment with three other people, it's pretty fucking clear what you can expect. Besides, I just waited until school went back, and I stole Jennifer Corcoran's Cappy souvenir. Right out of her locker. It was so easy.”

Gage arched an eyebrow, “So that's how you learned to pick a lock?”

“Well that's not _how_ , or even when, but all practice is good practice,” she tipped her bottle at him and took a swig.

He frowned. The Overboss needed to be clear-headed. Dani wasn't normally like this. She liked to be alert herself, but he was starting to learn that she had moods. Some of those moods were accompanied by alcohol. This was one of them.

“I learned pretty young, myself,” he offered, “Grew up watching my parents bend to the whim of every Raider gang that came through. I was ten when I decided to ditch. I did what I could – odd jobs at settlements, worked as a farm hand for a while. But everywhere I went, the Raiders would come, point at what they wanted, and they'd get it.”

Dani grinned, waving around the park, “As we see here.”

“Exactly. So I joined them. This world is trying to kill us, so I figured I might as well fight back.”

“This world,” she practically slurred, “is a shit hole. I had climbed out of the hole I grew up in, was standing on firm ground, in the sun. And here I am again.”

She was quiet for a minute, and when she spoke again, she sounded sober, “I was the one that cut him. He told the cops that it was a bar fight, but it was me. He was just too embarrassed to admit that it was his daughter because in our neighborhood, daughters weren't shit.”

Gage blinked, “What?”

“It was the last fucking time, Gage, is what. He laid that hand on me, and I had the knife, and I just swiped. His ear came off. He screamed, kept...grabbing at the gash in his head, as if he had imagined it, as if it wasn't lying right there on the floor. He would have fucking killed me, if he hadn't been so shocked, if I hadn't held up the knife and told him to keep his goddamn hands off of me.”

She took a long drag of the cigarette she had lit, hard eyes staring into the fire.

“Nate came and picked me up that night. Never looked back. He had already enlisted then. Fuck, it was that or go to jail, and he wasn't going to go to jail. And I had shit else to do, so I joined, too.”

Dani rolled her shoulders, “Straightened us out pretty good, you know? The structure, the order of things. That's why the Brotherhood was easy to swallow. The rank and file, taking command, hard men barking orders to even harder men and women.”

Gage opened the snack cakes, offered her one. She waved him away.

“Nate fell right in line. He needed that structure, that sense of purpose. He only had his mom growing up, so having a huge family all of a sudden, it was good for him. He was a born soldier.”

She didn't say anything for a moment, and the Raider was curious, “And what about you, boss?”

She shrugged. What was she? Born into a family that already had one too many kids, a mother that lay in a heap of stoned oblivion most days, and a father that shouldn't even be on the streets. Living off what she could steal or hustle others out of. School was where she went to get away, and her teachers told her she was whip smart, but math and science and history all seemed like things for richer, better people.

She met Nate on the street, and he swooped in to protect her. There was never any question that they would be together because who else did they have?

The military told her she was a soldier, and she followed orders – mostly – and she went to school and got a law degree. She was as ruthless in the courts as she had been on the streets. 

Nate wanted a family. She couldn't afford to get pregnant, but luckily her sister couldn't keep it in her goddamn pants, and it was easy enough to adopt a child from another strung-out junkie that didn't even know it was a boy. Pro tip: lawyers save money on court fees by doing the work themselves.

She considered it a birthday present for Nate originally, but she had grown to love that baby boy as if he were her own. Shit, legally, Shaun _was_ hers. And even biologically, he was close. 

But the Chinese had other thoughts about what she was – what all of them were. Enemies. Victims. 

And Vault-Tec thought of her as a lab rat. So did the Institute. 

To the Minutemen, she was a general – god help them all for that. She hadn't been dishonorably discharged, but a grand total of 100% of the army was glad when her time was up. She had shown up with a loaded gun and a chip on her shoulder, ripping through the Raiders in Concord, and they had proclaimed her a hero while the blood was still drying. Of course, Preston wasn't too happy with her after the whole...blowing up a shitload of people thing.

To the Brotherhood, she was a Sentinel. She didn't consider herself a soldier, but it was the one thing in the wasteland that felt even remotely familiar to her, so she followed out her orders with precision and more than a little glee. Shit, if they wanted her to go in and destroy ghoul nests and synths, she was more than happy to do it. She didn't really care if synths were people or not, didn't care who was on the other side of the weapon; if they were aiming at her, she was taking them out, end of story.

To the Railroad, she was a monster. Well, fuck 'em. They should have realized that a bleeding heart would only lead to death. Hearts weren't supposed to bleed, after all.

She looked around. The giant nest of bloodworms was a smoking pile in the heart of Mad Mulligan's, those that had been out in the open were scattered in gory messes all around the park, and she and Gage had laughed their asses off at her terrible western impressions in response to the robots. 

Dani was still killing and fighting and taking on behalf of others, but those others would be paying her tribute when this was over; Gage would see to that, and so would she. It was expected. None of the gang bosses were expecting her to do for free, and if they did, they had another thing coming. They spoke her language – the language of take now, ask later, or shoot them when they protest.

She shook her head with a grin, tossed the near-empty bottle to the fire and watched it flare and roar, “Me? Guess I'm a born Raider.”

Gage chuckled at that, “Hell yes, boss.”


	4. Gatorclaws! Because there wasn't enough shit in the 'wealth!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And Science said "fuck this place over here in particular." Dani rants about science.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a bunch of chapters written, but I am a cruel mistress, and I am posting them slowly because otherwise I'll shoot my load early, post everything I have so far and never finish. So really I'm helping. This is also my first exercise in patience and self-control. I hate it. (PS Might have to do a one-shot with Cito. No one can tell me they didn't purposely make him look KIND OF like Khal Drogo. That was SO CLEARLY intentional.)
> 
> Oh! Also, the dialogue is sooo long. So hopefully you weren't hoping for verbatim relationship conversations. Because they are not here.

There was far too much red around her that was hers.

Dani took a deep, steadying breath, focusing on the strange wash of chemicals that the Stimpak pushed through her. The feeling was bizarre – a surge of adrenaline, followed by serotonin, and through it all, she could practically feel the cells regenerating, her skin tightening around a wound, blood coagulating.

The uncomfortable pressure on her chest was easing.

Another round of bullets sounded, then blessed silence. Gage came around the corner, his eyes wide with blood lust. He was seething. Enough that he paced for a minute or two before stopping and crouching down next to her, “You ok, boss?”

She grunted a laugh at him, “Who the fuck thought a _Gatorclaw_ was a good idea? Don't answer that. I read that goddamn terminal over there,” she motioned with her chin to the other side of the flooded room, “and the scientist was going to teach it to follow commands. I swear to...look, if I ever start saying I want to go into science, just fucking shoot me. They ruin everything, scientists.”

“You are babbling,” Gage offered, punctuating each word and trying not to laugh at her.

“It's my fucking right to babble," she spat back, "I've been in this god-forsaken hell hole – the Commonwealth, not Nuka World – for almost a year and every goddamn thing out there is trying to kill me, and at least half of that shit – no! More than half! - was created, directly or otherwise, by men trying to play god. I'm fucking disgusted. I'm over it, Gage. I am _done_.”

“Well,” he drawled, “I'm glad you're feelin' better boss.”

“Shut up. Help me up.”

He shook his head, tucking his rifle under his arm, “No, ma'am. You are in no shape to move yet.”

She frowned, “At least help me out of this disgusting _science_ water.”

He chuckled at that, at least, before easily lifting her and moving her onto a chair. He leaned against a wall, lighting a cigarette and studying her, “We're good here for a while, boss, if you need to sleep.”

She shook her head, “Nah. Too much adrenaline. Besides, who knows how many more of those things are wandering around? What I would _like_ to do is finish this job, hand this place over to-”

“the Pack,” they said in unison, Gage nodding because, obviously.

“Then head to that sweet restaurant in the sky to sleep for fucking days.”

The Raider tilted his head back, closing his eyes for a moment, as he enjoyed the effects of nicotine. They sat in silence for a time, Dani twisting and tilting slightly to determine how healed she was. Before she could stand and announce that it was time to head out, Gage was speaking.

“While we're here waiting for that miracle drug to do its thing, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

His tone, more than his words, stopped her from cutting him off or insisting they leave. She settled back into the chair, waved vaguely at him, “You've got my ear.”

“We got a good thing going here, boss, right?”

Dani arched an eyebrow, “You skipping out on me, Gage?”

He blinked in confusion, shaking his head, “Hell no. Why would I do that? Listen, we got a good thing going here, and I just wanted to let you know that I'm glad I decided to run with you. You were the right choice to take out Colter, the right choice for the new Overboss, and damn it all to hell, but I trust you. You got my back, boss.”

Dani said nothing for a moment, then quietly, “You're damn right I got your back.”

“I know, boss. You don't need to say it. And I got yours. My point is I don't trust people; I got my reasons, but folks just ain't trustworthy. Except you.”

“You and me, Gage,” she affirmed.

“You and me, Boss.”

She nodded, and he did, too. Nothing else needed to be said. He offered her a hand, helping her to her feet. They trudged through the water, Dani stopping to pick through the corpses of the monsters they had slain before finding the exit.

Once they were outside, Dani was feeling better, though that likely had more to do with being out of that lab than anything. She turned to her second-in-command, “Let's go raise a flag.”

“After you, Boss,” he gestured, and followed her.

They were halfway up the building when she stopped and looked back at him, “Fucking hell. Cito.”

“What? Oh, right.” He vaguely remembered the loin-cloth-clad man with the gorillas.

Dani groaned, dropping her chin to her chest, “Alright. I'll go talk to him.”

“You gonna kill him? Those gorillas-”

“Nah. I think he'd fit in with the Pack, actually.”

“You don't think Mason will-”

“Cito is dumber than Mason. Mason'll make good use of him.”

“Good point.”

“Besides, he's fucking gorgeous. I want to bite him, you know? Just sink my teeth in and-”

“Boss.”

“What?! I'm a woman. I've got needs. And one of those needs is a good lay, and-”

“Boss.”

She waved him off with a grin, “Finish with this flag. I'll be back in two shakes.”

Gage grumbled something, but he did as he was told. She was back quickly, and she didn't look disheveled. He was quietly and exceptionally privately relieved at that. He arched an eyebrow, “Didn't go the way you wanted?”

She shrugged, “He's not going anywhere.”

With a roll of his eyes and a sigh, he wiped his hands on his pants, “Well, boss, where to next?”

She turned, looking over the walls from their high vantage point and made a sweeping gesture toward the tower across the park, “I think it's time we emancipate my kingdom from whatever horrors lurk within.”

Gage laughed and shook his head, but he followed her anyway.


	5. And for my next trick, I'll make this glowing ghoul disappear. Forever.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani and Gage confront Oswald the soon-to-be-dead at the top of a castle. And some feelings leak out. Just a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was the first thing I wrote when I first got through part of Nuka World. I mention that only because I didn't feel like changing it up to better fit with the earlier chapters that I wrote subsequently. So it might feel repetitive? I don't know. But I wasn't willing to part with any of it.
> 
> If you're wondering about non-violent types of explicit content...next chapter, yo.

_Free._

That was how she felt. The bombs had dropped, and she was forced into a cage – first one that froze her, and then one of her own making. But she had died in that cryopod with her husband. What emerged was not her, and she was tired of pretending to be her. She wanted to maim the world that had done this to her, make it feel what she felt.

This was her opportunity.

Damn the Minutemen; damn the Brotherhood of Steel; damn the Railroad. 

Damn the Commonwealth.

Dani had emerged from that Vault as something _other_ , and trying to fit into the skin that she once lived in had become impossible.

But now she was free.

Now she could beat down the world that had beaten her. And she relished in the crunch and the softness that she felt under the pressure of her spiked bat.

Another ghoul flew away from her swing, and she wasn't sure if the laughter she heard was coming from the voice on the speaker or herself. Or maybe it was Gage. He seemed to be enjoying this as much as she was.

He was dangerous. In the most delicious way. He fed the beast within her, encouraging that beast to roar, to rip, and to rend. He watched her tear through their opponents – be they robots, or strange lizards, or ghouls. He helped guide her through the politics of dominating three groups of raiders. 

She was, despite the odds and her own misgivings, very much hoping that when she finished securing the sub-parks of Nuka World he would find his way into her bed.

But right now, ghouls.

And she needed to find a way to turn off these damn spray machines, she thought, not for the first time, as she gagged on the radioactive mist. 

“Mind if we move away from here before I start to feel nauseous,” Gage helpfully put in.

She rolled her eyes at him, shaking the bat to clear some of the chunkier bits of gore off of the spikes, “Grow a pair.”

The raider gave her a grin and grabbed his crotch, “I'm more concerned about losing them in this damn mist.”

Dani pointed with the bat, “Then let's go find this sonofabitch and be done with it.”

They had spoken of trust before, of allowing the other one to watch his or her back. So it wasn't difficult for either of them to turn their back on the other, as they made their way through the disturbing circus that was the Kiddie Kingdom. She had flirted with him a few times, loved the way he would get flustered, almost as much as the way she would sometimes catch him appreciating how she looked in the form-fitting BOS officer uniform. She really loved the muttered _hot damn_ she heard the one time that she had had to quickly change in front of him. 

The castle-cum-theater loomed ahead of them. 

And, of course, more ghouls.

With an almost bored sigh, Dani set up, then swung hard. The force of her swing was diminished only slightly by the withered, corpse-like visage that was gnashing teeth at her. But it didn't stop it. The feral's neck made a snapping noise, just before it slumped off of the bridge where it had intercepted them.

She could feel, as well as hear, the bullets whizzing past her, but she knew that Gage would let a ghoul bite into him before he took a shot that might hit her.

So on she went, swinging and shoving, snarling in the face of the withered bipeds.

Time slowed for her in these moments. Gage covering her, as she ran in. Blood and flesh. Her heart pounding in the cage of her ribs. Back and forth with the bat. Sometimes a tossed grenade, followed by bodies flying. And laughter. Always laughter.

With the courtyard cleared, Gage made his way to the door, tucking his rifle under his arm and opening it with an exaggerated bow, “Boss.”

She approached the door, bat propped on her shoulder, “Oooh. You're making me all tingly, Gage.”

He winked at her. 

She hadn't imagined it, either. Maybe her being upfront about her attraction to him was finally paying off. 

They made their way through the theater, the evidence of their last tear through the room spread, now sticky and drying, all around the place. The elevator was in the back, if memory served.

“You might want to switch out for a sidearm, boss. Something tells me we want to keep distance from that glowing asshole.”

She cast him a sideways glance, as they waited for the elevator, “Maybe. It's not as satisfying.”

“You sound like a damn Disciple.”

She shrugged, stepping into the lift and to the side to make room for him. She watched him enter, admiring the thick ropes of muscle that were under his armor. He arched an eyebrow at her, and she simply grinned, pressing the button.

“We'll see what happens when we get up there.”

Shit storm. A shit storm was what happened once they got to the top.

Not one for hearing long speeches or sob stories, especially now that she wasn't dependent upon a group that expected it of her, she cut off Oswald's story to remind him that she was there to murder his ass.

He did not take it well. 

“This bastard just won't _die_ ,” she shouted over at Gage, who was, admittedly, busy fighting off the handful of ghouls that said bastard had managed to reawaken.

She punctuated her last word with another vicious hit. Oswald's head made contact with the business end of her bat. His neck twisted strangely, but then there was a puff of smoke, and he appeared on the other side of the room.

“I fucking hate magicians,” she practically screamed, finally reaching for the modified 10mm that she kept as a backup.

With a growl, she unloaded a clip into him.

She was a frighteningly accurate shot. Though she preferred to be up close and personal with her self-proclaimed Hurtin' Stick, she had been trained with firearms in her previous life. 

There was a grunt behind her.

Dani turned in time to see Gage stagger against the wall. She turned away from the magician and set her sights on the ghoul lashing out at her second-in-command.

The creature's arm fell off with a disgusting sucking sound, and it turned its black, lifeless eyes on her. Perfect for shooting it in the face.

“Gage!”

Ignoring the chaos around her, she ran to his side, ripping into the pocket on her thigh to produce a Stimpak.

“Those are,” he grimaced, “expensive, boss.”

“Shut up.”

She couldn't easily get to any of the major arteries in his neck, so she yanked on his leg and jammed the needle into the femoral artery.

“Holy fuck!” he shouted at the sudden stab.

“You're fine.”

She dropped the gun and turned again, this time with her grip on the bat, “YOU!”

Oswald was holding onto his side. He looked up at her. Nowhere to go now. He appeared to be out of disappearing tricks. No pun intended, she thought with a maniacal laugh. The magician blinked in confusion.

Dani pointed the end of the bat at him, then wordlessly strode toward him. She wasn't fond of running, much less sprinting. She could walk fast enough, she always thought. He was backing away, but he was limping, too.

She raised the bat over her head and brought it down hard. No shout left her this time. She was singularly focused on watching his head cave under the pressure of the blow.

And, oh, how it did.

The magician's limp form crumpled to the ground.

Dani cast a look over her shoulder, “Get out through that door. This room has too much radioactive shit.”

Gage nodded and made his way, slower than Dani would have liked, to the door nearby. He disappeared through the doorway. She kicked the corpse at her feet before kneeling to dig through its pockets.

Some keys, some ammo, some grenades and, what was this? A scrap of paper conveniently labeled 'password'.

Dani cast her eyes about the room, finding a terminal. She made her way over, tried the password. 

“Bingo.”

She took a seat and set about inputting commands, finding a way to make this nightmare of a park do what she wanted. She was at least able to turn off the mist machines, though it seemed there was nothing she could do about the cars on the track whipping around the entire area.

With a shrug, she stood – at least radiation wouldn't be an issue anymore.

Speaking of. The barrels in here were not indicative of long-lasting health, so she took her own advice and followed Gage out of the area, into the fresh air.

It was dark. How long had they spent tearing through this place?

Gage sat against a wall a couple of yards away, his head leaned back against the cool brick. Dani made her way over, sliding down the concrete until she was sitting next to him.

Without opening his eyes, he gestured, “Which flag you gonna put up, boss?”

She leaned her head back, closing her eyes as well, “Well, I don't know. I don't think I want to see what the Disciples would do with this place. Maybe the Operators. They seem like the least likely to make it worse than it is.”

He chuckled at that.

Silence settled on them for a while.

“Boss,” Gage started. She could hear the hesitation in his voice, so she kept her eyes closed to offer him privacy, responding with only a hum of question.

“Thanks. For back there, I mean. I know you have my back, and, it's just...well...”

“No need to thank me, Gage. You'd have done the same.”

“But I ain't the boss.”

She shrugged.

She could feel his eyes on her. They burned into her. She was tempted to open her eyes and meet his gaze, but this wasn't the time. She was tired. He was injured and healing. She offered a wry smile, instead.

Next to her, Gage sighed. It sounded content, at least.


	6. And that, kids, is how I banged your father.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani and Gage seek out new land and civilizations (to wreck!) in the Commonwealth. They get stopped on the way. Adrenaline makes people do some funny things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, well, they finally get to it. For the record, I am super proud of myself for waiting this long. Because I knew how it was going to go down and really just needed an excuse. And then I remembered, as the writer, I could shove it in wherever. Um. No pun intended.

It was thrilling to be completely unencumbered with responsibility. Dani owed no one a goddamn thing. She could take what she wanted, and if she so chose, she could share it.

Shank had given her the list of potential outposts, and she selected one at random because no one could tell her where to go or when. It didn't matter. She could have closed her eyes and pointed and been just as happy with her choice.

Tempted as she was to go in with just Gage, she figured if she had backup willing to go, she might as well take it. Shit, when was the last time the Minutemen had sent someone with her to clear out a nest of ghouls or super mutants? Oh, right, _never_. There may not be honor among thieves, but they wanted their due, and they were willing to fight for it, if not work.

She told Gage as much, as they sat on the train, headed toward the Commonwealth.

He and Shank were the only ones at Nuka World who knew about who she was outside the walls of their happy Raider kingdom. He listened to her almost-praise and gave a shrug and a smile, “I told you Raiders were easy.”

“Just don't ask them to farm,” Dani repeated to him.

“Just don't ask them to farm,” he confirmed.

She grinned and shook her head, “Well, shit, I don't blame them.”

Gage slid a cigarette out of his pack, offered her one. She nodded, and he lit them both, handing her the offering. Its end sparked red, and the tendrils of wispy smoke reached out to her, caressed her in a way that she suspected Gage wanted to.

“You're doing a good job, boss.”

She sucked in a hit of nicotine and gave him a chuckle, “I'm not doing anything except what I enjoy.”

Gage's eyes held on her, “Yeah, and you do it well. I know I've said it before, but running with you has been one of the best decisions I ever made.”

She waggled her eyebrows at him, “You just like covering me from behind.”

“I couldn't pay for a better view,” he conceded.

She blinked at him, cigarette hovering a couple of centimeters from her mouth. Was he _flirting_ with her? She was shocked, but she was thrilled – it was about damn time.

“Well you wouldn't have to pay to touch, you know.”

His turn to freeze at her words. Before he could respond, verbally or otherwise, the train came to a sudden and jarring halt. They both jerked to the side, bracing themselves until the train was no longer moving.

Gage cleared his throat, “So we're meeting them just a ways down the road from the outpost location.”

Dani nodded. She was the one having the discussion with Shank; she was the one with the Pip Boy and the map. But she would grant him his exit. She was selfish, but she wasn't cruel. Well...she wasn't cruel to the people in her corner. She wasn't always cruel, anyway.

Despite the slight discomfort of the situation, he motioned for her to precede him down the steps with a wink. 

“That Pip Boy tell you how long it will take us to get to the coast?”

Something about stepping foot outside of the confines of Nuka World made Dani bitter, and his question only made her think about how 13 months ago – at least to her biological clock – the trip would have taken an hour if, er, _because_ traffic was bad. Now they were looking at the better part of a day to get there, assuming they didn't run into all hell on the way.

“Probably about 5 hours, assuming we keep a steady pace and don't run into trou-”

The words were practically knocked out of her mouth, as her feet left the ground at the force of grazing impact from the rampaging Radstag. She rolled out of the way of its hooves and kept rolling to try and get clear, all while coughing and choking on dirt.

“BOSS!”

Gunshots followed his shout, and she watched in horror as the body of the now dead Radstag fell toward her. 

“Fuck-” she again felt her lungs expel all oxygen, as the heavy creature fell on her. She had held up her arms, at least to keep from being entirely crushed. She wrestled her way out from under the carcass, all to the tune of four letter words and muttered curses.

“This goddamn road always had deer. All the fucking time.”

She was still muttering when the weight suddenly lifted, and she yanked her legs free. Gage dropped the animal back on the road before squatting, “You alright, boss?”

She leaned back on her elbows, taking deep breaths, and nodded, “I'm fine. I'm good.”

When he didn't respond right away, she lowered her face from the sky to look at him, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I just...you're the Overboss. I can't have some fucking livestock running you over.”

She wheezed a laugh, reaching up to take the hand that he offered her. He pulled her up easily, and the force of his tug had her pressed against him for a moment. He looked down at her. But now wasn't the time or the place, and they both knew it. That didn't stop him from letting his hand sweep down her back, her ass, and her thigh when he let go.

“Think I should dress it and cut up some meat?”

Gage shook his head, “We gotta get to the outpost before the Operators make a move without us.”

Dani sighed, rolling her shoulders, “You're right. Let's move out.”

They made it close to Cambridge before they had to take cover and participate somewhere in the middle of a shootout between a company of Gunners and a – what would one call it? A gaggle? - bunch of Super Mutants. 

While Gage took shots at both sides, Dani snaked her way to the back of the building where the mutants were holed up and crawled in through a window. She crept along the halls and staircases, taking them out one-by-one with heavy, well-placed swings. 

Gage found her on the second floor, foot on the chest of an enforcer, as she tugged viciously to pull the spikes free from the head of the last one she fell. He had wiped out the Gunners, though the green skins had thinned them out considerably.

Dani had blood splattered on her chest armor, her face. Her hands were slick, too, which was making pulling her bat free a chore. She was frowning, the long strands of hair that hung on the left side were in her face, no doubt sticking to the drying blood.

Gage grunted, and Dani looked up just in time to see him removing his own chest armor, as he made his way to her.

So this is happening now, she mused, just as his lips crashed into hers, and his weight had her propelling back, bat forgotten, into the wall behind her. The impact with the wall was not gentle, and she would have gasped out the air in her lungs, except that her second-in-command's tongue was shoved in her mouth.

She pulled on his tank-top, a singular focus. She had seen him shirtless less than a handful of times, always only for an instant, and it was a fucking sin.

He yanked it off, then went about helping her with the clasps and straps of her own armor, tossing it to the side, as if it weren't responsible for saving her life on multiple occasions. At the moment, it didn't matter to him, and it mattered much less to her when his hands slid up her sides, pushing away the fabric of her own shirt. 

With one breast in hand, he kissed her again. The taste of blood was prominent. Time was also short. Without preamble, Gage's hand left her breast and found its way to the waist of her jeans, where it slid in and under, between her thighs, his index finger making a long swipe between her folds. She felt, more then heard, him groan against her lips, followed by an almost whispered “fuck.”

She pushed him away with her hips, and before he could protest, began unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans, motioning with an incline of her chin that he should do the same. He followed orders as dutifully as ever, dropping his pants enough to let his cock free of the oppressive confines.

Dani shuffled two steps to the left and hopped onto a dresser that she prayed would hold her weight. It groaned in protest but didn't shatter. Spreading her legs was awkward with her pants pushed down to her ankles, but she didn't give a shit about that, as long as Gage stepped between her thighs.

He swallowed thickly, and while he came to terms with what they were going to do, Dani went about ensuring she was ready for him. She slipped her index and middle fingers into her mouth – better to clean off the blood, anyway – before sliding those fingers down, rubbing her clit and pressing them inside for a moment. She was plenty ready. Between the fight and the sudden passion, she had never been more ready.

Understanding in an instant, Gage cornered her on the bureau, one hand pressed into the wood next to her right hip, while the other gripped his cock and guided it to her.

He pressed into her forcefully, and she sucked in a breath.

His other hand planted itself on her left, and he went to work, pounding into her and sucking on the skin of her neck. She pressed against him, wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders to help get the leverage to pull herself to the very edge of the dresser, opening herself more to him. 

Neither of them made a sound; Dani held her breath, as the tension built within her, letting it out in rough gasps when she was forced to breathe. She would never tell a soul, of course, but his left hand moved to her lower back, and it felt so gut-wrenchingly tender, his fingers splayed over her spine gentle compared to hard thrusts of his hips.

Pleasure washed over her again and again. It didn't take long. She had wanted this for long enough, and the man was not lacking in size or strength. For this, he didn't really need finesse, though the way he moved, she could tell that, had they more time, she would likely forget every word except for curses and praise.

When he came, he gasped something that might have been her name, the hand that had been all but caressing her back pressing firmly into her hip, as his thighs shook. His head was on her shoulder; he took long, deep breaths. She could feel his heart beating through his back before she moved her hands to his biceps, squeezing them approvingly.

A couple of months of build-up for a three minute quickie surrounded by green skin bodies seemed appropriate to Dani.

She blinked when he kissed her again – another moment of tenderness – before he pulled out of her. 

“Fuck,” he repeated his murmur from earlier, “that was...holy shit I've wanted to do that almost every fight we've been through.”

Dani flashed him a grin, digging a different shirt from her pack to wipe herself down before pulling her pants back up, “You know my feelings on it.”

“I just...I wanted it to be...”

“This was perfect,” she assured him, looking around, “although I am having some trouble finding my armor.”

“Perfect, my ass,” he grumbled, pulling his pants back up, “I wanted to go longer, maybe get your mouth on me...get my mouth on you.”

She arched an eyebrow at him, tugging the hem of her shirt back down over her breasts and stomach, “Next time.”

“Yeah,” he huffed, taking a sidelong look at her and shaking his head, “the things I'm going to do with you.”

“Ooh,” she breathed, “you're making me feel all tingly.”

“Good.”

He completed donning his armor and gestured at the hole in the wall behind them, “Shall we?”

Dani, now similarly suited up, slung her pack over her shoulder, retrieved her bat, which had come loose on its own from the floor shaking, and peered over the edge, “Yeah.” 

She jumped.


	7. Everyone wants a piece. Sucks to be them.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two things that Gage doesn't like: having a target on his back and sharing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This and the next chapter were originally one chapter, but clocking in at nearly 4k words, I thought it was excessive. I was just excited because, obviously, they have to jump each other again. But now that's in the next chapter. 
> 
> Also, it switches to Gage's POV here. Since I don't have to submit this to a publisher, I figured ehhhhh. I do what I want.
> 
> Bonus points if you identify the actual (slightly modified) quote from Natural Born Killers. About the only thing from the movie that made it here. Apart from the violence, I guess.

If the Operators at the camp noticed the obvious bruise on her neck, they had the good sense not to say anything. They were preoccupied, anyway, clearing out the ghouls from the nearly demolished house that would be their first outpost. 

Gage thought it was good for them to see the Overboss in action. He knew her to be fierce and unforgiving, but for the common Raiders to see it was necessary. They needed to know that she was not to be fucked with, and as she started hauling debris and junk up to the workshop to start dismantling it and building things, they silently fell in line.

If there had been doubts about her in the group's mind, they were dissipating quickly. Her gore-covered gear probably went a long way in helping with that. Not to mention the image all of those present would carry with them, of her jumping from the second story, tire iron in hand, and landing with a strange squelching sound on one of the ghouls that was one well-aimed gnash away from taking off Graham's arm. That had definitely helped move her into the “someone with whom I'd rather not tango” lists.

But Gage couldn't stop staring at her ass and thinking about getting a handful. This was precisely why he had avoided hopping in the sack with her. Not because he didn't want to because, hot damn, she was fine. And not because of...he cared about her, and she had to know that, even if he didn't say anything. But damn it all, she was a hell of a woman. Who wouldn't want to get her naked, get her soaking and moaning?

There was work to be done here, though, and thinking about how tight she was and wondering what her pussy would taste like were not conducive to getting shit done. So he did what any Raider with the emotional maturity of a Yao Guai would do and avoided her like the fucking plague of inappropriate thoughts that she was.

When she didn't approach him to ask him about it, as they worked to clean and build up the house, he had two thoughts: one was that she really was the best woman on the planet and was simply not clingy or in need of validation; and then two was one that he didn't want to dwell on because he was too old for this kind of shit. But just maybe she had considered it a one time thing. She never hid her attraction to him, but he had seen her flirt a little bit with Mason, too.

And Cito. There was Cito to consider as well. Was he more her type?

Get your shit together, man, he hissed internally, and quit acting like a teenage girl. She has bigger balls than you. She's just playing it cool because she has an image to uphold. And we're busy. And there are a bunch of younger men around here, drooling all over her.

But that ass.

“...need a door, and the hinges on this one still are in...ok shape.”

Dani's words cut through his mental flagellation, and he blinked. Had she been speaking to him?

Graham, the one who had nearly been ghoul food, was nodding emphatically, “You want me to take them off then? We can put them on a new piece of wood.”

In an effort to make things even worse for him, Dani had stripped off her armor, so that she was wearing ripped jeans and a tank top, a pair of welding goggles pulled up onto her forehead, as she looked over some materials. She was sweaty, grime covered, and there were still bits of dried blood on her. He fought back a groan. 

Then her eyes flicked to his, and she gave him a sinful grin. She knew what she was doing. She was playing him like a tightly wound string and fuck him, but it was working. And not just on him, he noted with a frown. Graham was practically standing at attention, looking like goddamn Gunner waiting for his orders, all starry-eyed, looking at the Overboss. Well, he couldn't say that Dani hadn't won them over.

“Yeah. Take off those hinges and the rest of the hardware. I'll start working on the wood.”

If the situation were different, Gage would have had any number of ways to respond to her, but he kept his mouth shut tight. There was still shit to do, and he wouldn't be doing the boss any favors jumping her in front of the pups around them. 

He focused on the tasks at hand, and as a group, they were able to pull together a usable outpost in no time. It was early morning, three days after they arrived, when the boss raised the Operators' flag on the post outside, and they bid farewell to the three that were staying behind to take tributes and watch the area.

“I got an idea,” she chimed, as they started on the road back to their little slice of heaven.

“What's that?”

She had taken point, but given that they were in the middle of nowhere for a bit, she turned to face him as she walked, “I wanna go have some fun before we head back. Find a bar, relax, maybe rent a room.”

He grunted a laugh, “We have all of that at the Grille.”

“Variety is the spice of life,” she quipped.

“You're the boss. You tell me where to go, and I'll go there.”

“You ever been to the Combat Zone?”

“Nah. Just heard about it in Diamond City.”

She offered a slow smile, “Well you're in for a treat.”

It took a couple of hours to get to the heart of old Boston, and it was clear from Dani's winding path through the city that she had been here more than a few times. He could hear the roar of a crowd before they got there, but the place was clearly a Raider joint.

While relations with most of the Raiders this side of the mountains were strained, he and the boss were clearly not traders or farm hands, so they had no trouble getting in. He hadn't been here before, and it was shocking that he hadn't, once he was inside.

It reminded him of the arena at the end of the Gauntlet, with the cage in the middle and levels of seating. The boss dropped a few caps with some lady in an outfit that made it clear she worked there, then indicated that they should move up to one of the private booths.

He followed her, admiring the way her hips swayed as she ascended the stairs. 

The booth was tucked into a private box, so he didn't complain when she sat close to him, close enough for her thigh to press against his. The fight had started, but it was obviously in an early bout; the fighters were too energetic for it to have gone on long. It was a good bout, though he found it hard to focus entirely on the cage match.

They commented on fighting styles, the cheap whiskey – nothing significant really. But the time flew by.

“I gotta piss,” he grumbled, “Why don't you get us a couple more of these?”

Dani stood and stretched, teasing, “Sounds good, boss.”

Gage smacked her ass for good measure, then followed her down to the bar, where he detoured to the can. He frowned at one Raider who had stumbled in, only to pass out on a bench just inside the door. He had clearly been robbed, as he drooled on the floor. 

Gage finished his business, then stepped back into the acrid air of the main arena.

The bar was only a few yards away, and as he approached, he could see Dani leaning over the bar, waiting on her order. He stopped near the ramp that would lead him back to their private box. He was watching her intently, but he was still aware of the presence when the stranger approached, crossing his arms and whistling low.

“That's some sweet piece of meat, ain't it?” the newcomer offered, gesturing to the bar.

Gage didn't bother looking at the man, “Her name is Dani.”

The Raider scoffed, “Dani? Who gives a shit? I call it pussy.”

In retrospect, it may not have been his most well-planned moment, but it was one of his proudest. He gave a chuckle, and when the other man started to nod, Gage reached for the back of his head, took a step back, and shoved him face-forward, hard, into the wooden post holding up the private box.

It was about that time Dani had turned with their drinks, which she promptly dropped - or shot down quickly - in order to not be caught with her hands full in what was clearly about to become a brawl.

The Raider with the now ruined face slumped down. His buddies weren't quite so unconscious, though, nor were they pleased with their pulp-faced friend.

Gage pulled his gun and started shooting, while Dani ripped a pool cue straight from the hands of one of the attackers and used it to beat him to the ground. Then she jumped over the back row of seats and started on the next one. Shouts and threats sang through the air with bullets, as the whole of the audience turned on the two of them.

There was a snapping sound that had Gage frantically searching for the boss in the crowd, only to find that she had broken the pool cue over another woman's back. The odds weren't great, and he felt genuinely guilty about starting the whole thing when he saw Dani having to resort to her sidearm.

It felt like an hour, but the fight was over in less than 10 minutes.


	8. Violent heroism looks good on you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Immediately following Gage's stellar self-control in the Combat Zone, Dani finds it necessary to show her gratitude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I mentioned, this chapter is technically part of the last chapter, but it felt too long, so I split it up. Kind of in the best place I could, I guess. 
> 
> This is 100% smut. Just a friendly "thanks for defending my honor, now pound me" kind of thing.

He was still toward the back, so he didn't hear the exchange in the ring, but he saw a bag pass hands, and Dani jerking her thumb over her shoulder. The man inside nodded, and the woman argued but was ultimately subdued with a firm shake of Dani's head.

When the boss returned, he had his apology ready.

“Shit, boss, I didn't mean...he just was being disrespectful.”

She said nothing, and he felt the ground drop from beneath him. He had gone and fucked it all up. He was the smart one, the level-headed one. He was the power behind the throne, but what good was that when the throne didn't – his thoughts tore down that path, even as she took his hand and began leading him back up the ramp to the private box.

He licked his lips, “What did you pay him? We'll make it back, you know? We could take this place, fix it up. The Disciples would love it.”

She was still silent, and his sense of dread only grew.

Dani turned to him then and gave him a push. He fell onto a wooden chair, was about to try one last defense, when she walked up and straddled him and began removing his armor. He was speechless and apparently useless because he couldn't even move to help her.

He heard it clatter on the floor distantly, but it didn't matter, since she pressed against him then, grinding down against his growing erection and taking his bottom lip between her teeth.

His hands went to her hips, pulling and pressing her against him, seeking the friction. What the fuck had he done right? And how could he do more of it?

“You are so fucking hot when you go into a rage like that,” she panted – the boss was fucking panting in his ear, what the hell.

He grunted in response.

She leaned back to tug off her armor. He had seen her shirtless once, when she was forced to change her shirt or risk infection when she was out of Stimpaks. He had been preoccupied with keeping her alive that time. No such issue here. Just skin and curves and holy hell, she was yanking his face down to meet with her cleavage, and if he was going to die, this would be the way to do it.

Instead, he sucked a nipple into his mouth – no clue which one, nor did he care – and then bit down. He was rewarded with a groan and a hard grind against him.

“God _damn_ Dani.”

“I know we said we'd take our time, but I want you to fuck me. Right now.”

Gage was able to take orders when necessary, and he had put himself in positions with various bosses to ensure that the orders he had to take were ones he had no qualms with. He was over the fucking moon to see to this one.

“Yes, ma'am,” he pulled away and pushed her gently off his lap.

She backed away and watched him strip off his shirt and drop his pants. She practically whimpered, chewing on her bottom lip until he was sure she'd draw blood. He motioned for her to drop her own pants, which she did, and then he grabbed her, turned her, and pushed her forward.

Dani's hands reached out to brace herself on the back of the chair. 

He dragged his palms over her back, over the faded image that was etched permanently in her skin, until they came to her ass. He spread her, using one booted foot to push her own leg out further, “That's it, baby,” he murmured, as he stroked a finger over her slit, spreading the juices that were there. Biting back a groan, he lined himself up at her entrance.

When he pushed into her, she arched her back and let out a sinful moan that damn near broke him. He stilled for a moment, his grip pulsing against her hip, and damned if she wasn't the prettiest sight he'd ever seen just then.

“What'd he say, Gage?” Her voice was breathy, barely audible.

That made him pause, “I don't know if you want to hear what he said.”

“Tell me,” she demanded, turning her eyes on him over her shoulder. 

“He said 'that's some sweet piece of meat,'” he conceded, though he kept the rest to himself.

“And what do you think?”

Holy hell, she was going to be the death of him, “I think you already know,” he offered with a solid thrust into her. He was settled enough to move that much at least.

“But I want to hear you say it. I want you to tell me how bad you want me.”

He was breathing hard, dragging his nails up and down her back, her ass – how the hell was he supposed to answer her? He felt like a goddamn virgin, on the verge of blowing his load just from the warmth and tightness of her around his cock, whether he was moving or not. 

“You want to know how bad I want you? You want me to tell you how fucking hard I've been, thinking about you when I finally get some time alone?”

“Yes,” she breathed, and he started to pump into her, then. He could focus on the words, focus on making her cum around him and not on how wet and tight she was.

He leaned over her, sliding one hand around her ribs to tug on a nipple, “You want to hear about how I would watch your ass when you walked in front of me, or how I imagined sliding my tongue into your pussy that time I had to lift you onto that wall to find the back end of the Gulch? Fuck, it'd have been so easy just then.”

She whimpered again, and he grinned when he felt her push back against him.

“Or do you need to know that I'd have to sneak off sometimes to rub one out, thinking about your lips wrapped around my cock?”

“Yes. Fuck, yes.”

He released her nipple and scraped his palm back around, over her shoulder, until he could press his index and middle fingers against her tongue. She closed her lips around him and sucked on the digits, sliding her tongue between them. He planted a kiss on her spine. Her walls were trembling around him.

“Maybe it's more timing that you're looking for? You curious about how long I've wanted to do this? Well, shit, Dani, I'm just a man. I thought about fucking you the first time I watched you bring hell down on your enemies. Like a goddamn angel of righteousness. You are a fucking goddess of fury and blood.”

She moaned at that, and he felt her orgasm shudder through her, down her spine, before he felt the tell-tale squeeze.

“ _Fuck_ , Gage,” she panted.

“Yeah,” he agreed, then pulled away from her, freeing his fingers from her mouth to grip her hips hard.

“You got another one for me?” he managed between his own pants.

Unable to speak, she simply nodded. He wrapped his still wet fingers around to stroke her clit, pulling it between index and middle, applying pressure until he could feel the tension building up in her again, “That's it.”

His pace and force increased. Everything he had said to her was true. He had dreamed of doing this on countless nights. And after a while it wasn't just about getting inside her, either. It was about her. Maybe he couldn't admit it, say it out loud, but he was hers, now, and there was no going back.

She gasped out his name, and the sensation of her walls tightening, the rush of moisture that accompanied it, was it for him. With a final thrust that had him bracing himself against the wall with a hand by her face, he came hard. 

When the trembling in his legs stopped, he pulled his palm over his face, “Fucking hell.”

He stepped away, keeping a hand on Dani's hip to keep her steady, as she straightened. She turned promptly and sat on the chair she had been leaning against, tugging her pants up but not bothering to button them. She blindly reached for the pack of cigarettes on the table nearby, lit two, and handed him one.

He held the stick between his lips, pulling his own pants back up, and studied her. She had her head leaned back, exposing the arch of her neck. She was still shirtless, her nipples hard in the cool air and her breasts moving with her breath. He swallowed, took a drag, and found he couldn't drag his eyes away from her.

“You and me, Gage,” she murmured.

“You and me, boss.”


	9. Don't make me say it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief encounter with the Operators leads to a more serious discussion between the Overboss and her second in command. It is awkward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just because they're Raiders doesn't mean they don't have feelings. Have any of you found that one Raider in the graveyard burying his friend? Proof!
> 
> Still have a handful of chapters to go, but as it's winding down, it just serves as a reminder that the ending of the game feels kind of abrupt. Bethesda really skimped out on the DLC for this one. Siiiiiigh.

They were on the train back to Nuka World before he had a chance to touch her again. With the ground they needed to cover, there hadn't really been a moment for them to stop. But once they were on the train, she had given him a bruising kiss, while she raked her nails through the rough stubble that had been forming on his head. 

There still wasn't time for them to strip off the armor and clothes and get to business, so they had to settle for the equivalent of a secret, pubescent make out session. Which was, to use the boss's eloquent words, _a load of shit; they were fucking adults, they should be allowed to be adults fucking_.

“Then again,” he offered, as they made their way to the Operators' base, “we have two beds in the Grille we can use all night, if we so choose.”

She gave him a nod at that but said nothing, since they were three strides from the door. No one could say a damn thing to her if she was sleeping with him, but he sure as hell wasn't about to go around bragging like some inexperienced pup. He was already established as a leader with the gangs; Dani was well on her way. And what, or who, he got into, wasn't anyone's business. That was fine with him. 

All of it was fine to think to himself, but reality was having none of his shit.

“Nice mark you have there,” Mags pointed out helpfully when Dani stepped onto the stage with her.

Dani grinned, handling it with the same air of confidence she handled everything else, “I thought it went with the rest of my aesthetic.”

Mags turned knowing eyes onto Gage, and he stood firm, met her eyes, and refused to give anything away. He wasn't ashamed of what they did, and he doubted Dani was, but it would be best to keep it quiet. Hell, it didn't change anything for the Operators anyway.

The boss shrugged, “Anyway. I wanted to let you know that your boys did a fine job helping set up that outpost. You might consider giving them a little something extra.”

William grinned, “Looks like you already did.”

Dani's eyes flashed, “You think one of _them_ did this?”

Mags shot her brother a look, and the smile faded from his face. He cleared his throat, then waved to the boss, “Of course not. It was a joke.”

The boss smiled again, then, “Sure. Joke. I get it.” Her smile disappeared quickly, replaced with a cold stare.

Gage cleared his throat, “Anyway. We found a nearby place that'll be supplying, too. Have them keep their eyes and ears open for any other places we can hit out there.”

“Of course,” Mags nodded, smoothing out the tension in the room, “thanks for thinking of us out in the 'wealth.”

Dani gave them an imaginary hat-tilt before turning and winding back to the front of the house. Gage followed after her, silent as a lamb and hoping that shit wouldn't go down over this.

They were outside when the boss turned to him, her features thoughtful, “Do you think Mags and William are fucking?”

Of all of the things he expected her to say, that was not something he would have known to put on a list, no matter how far down. He blinked, looked at her to gauge her features, “Are you joking? They're siblings, you know.”

She shrugged, “So? Sometimes siblings do weird shit like that. And they seem the type.”

“Don't let them hear you say that.”

“Pshh. Oh, yeah, they might get mad. Like I give a shit. Maybe they should stay out of my goddamn affairs, then.”

It felt a little like being stabbed. Was she embarrassed about what they did? He wasn't the best looking guy around, but he wasn't the worst either. And she was proving herself to the leaders. She had shown up on accident. No one could accuse her of fucking her way to the top. More than that, the groups knew that Gage didn't work like that, either.

He almost jumped when he felt the fingers brush against his thigh. When he looked at her, she gave the slightest shake of her head, as if she could read his mind.

Gage cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders. Of course she wasn't embarrassed. So they had fucked a couple of times. It wasn't a big deal. So no one should make a big deal about it.

They had checked in with Fritsch before heading back to the Grille, and they were about halfway up to the top when Gage realized that no, it was a big fucking deal. It was huge.

But he was shit with words and feelings, and how in the hell was he supposed to tell Dani – the goddess of fury and blood, as he had told her – that he had gone and done something stupid like, well, you know. They walked off of the lift, and she went into business mode right away

“I'm thinking about adding a scope to my side piece, but, I don't know, it feels like that'd be trying too hard.”

“You do fine without it.”

“Really what I need is to add a little range, you know? I love my little ten milla, but it might be good to have something I can use from a distance once in a while. I bet the Operators have something.”

She flung the doors open and made her way to the weapons workbench that Colter had set up and promptly forgotten. Pulling a few tools out, she leaned over and started pulling apart a pistol that was sitting there. Fuck him sideways, but he always liked watching her work on her weapons. It was delicious torture.

“Hey, boss...”

She grunted in response, ripping the scope loose from the pipe pistol it had a vice grip on. When he didn't continue right away, she turned slightly, “Everything alright, Gage?”

Get a grip, asshole, he reprimanded, “Yeah, boss. I just wanted to tell you that you don't need to worry about me running my mouth or anything.”

She graced him with a heart-stopping smile, “Is that why you're being so squirrely?”

“What the hell is a squirrely?”

Her laugh had her leaning against the bench, her hand over her eyes to try and stem the tears, “It's a...it's nothing. Is that why you were you being so skittish at the Operators' place? Gage, I know you're not gonna say anything, and honestly, I don't give a shit if people know. Just in general, I like to keep my private shit private. And even that's not the issue. What I don't appreciate are assumptions that one of their peons would have been given permission to touch me.”

The amusement was gone from her face then. It was hard and fierce.

“Oh,” was all he could think to say, and he felt like a chump for being so ineloquent. Even for him.

She rapped her knuckles on the metal table, sighed, even looked nervous for a moment before shaking her head, “Gage, look, I'm not good at this. But I want more out of this relationship. Do you?”

He blinked, trying to keep up with what was going on right now. What was she...did she...he should probably say something, but what? She was looking at him, waiting for him to say something. He should open his mouth. Make sounds come out of it. Sounds that made up words.

“Are you saying what I think you're saying?”

That was not what he meant to say.

Backing up.

“Ah, come on, boss. You wouldn't want nothin' to do with me. Not with the fucked up life I've had,” he near mumbled.

Fuck. That came out wrong. Would she take that as a no? Because that's not what he meant. If she wanted to be, you know, together, exclusive, that worked for him. He had a little bit of a possessive streak, after all. Just ask that faceless Raider at the Combat Zone.

But this was the boss, and she spoke Gage. She shrugged, “We've both been around long enough to know that stranger things have happened.”

“Well...yeah. And, now look, I ain't about to get all sappy on you-”

“Good,” she chuckled, tossing her screwdriver lightly in the air and catching it a few times.

“But damn, boss, you _are_ something else.”

She gave a little shrug, “I just...I don't know how to explain it. It's like I...I found a piece of myself that I didn't know I was missing.”

“Sounds about right. And hell,” he stepped a little closer, “ain't nobody I'd rather have with me.”

Silence stretched between them. Gage started to fidget. Then Dani gave a low whistle, “So...that was pretty heavy, huh?”

Gage cracked a smile, “Yeah. Let's not do that again.”

“Agreed. Besides, I have,” she shook the mostly disassembled scope, trailing off.

“Sure. I'm going to go, uh,” he scratched the back of his head, then gestured back out at the main part of the restaurant.

“Right.”

She turned, though he caught her face flush a little, saw the small smile. He didn't point it out. Instead he turned as well and made his way to one of the power armor suits they found in the park to tinker. The rest of the afternoon passed to the tune of metal pounding into metal and the occasional whir of a power tool. And on the inside, Gage felt a bloom of warmth spread that he didn't care to put a name to.


	10. Forty-Six and Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani and Gage take shelter from a rad storm and run into someone unexpected. A surprisingly non-violent, but still very angry, Dani lays the smack down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter can be summarized in one word, really: angst.
> 
> I just really wanted an opportunity for Dani to lay into the people that took advantage of her. And subsequently have to explain things to Gage.

“What do you think, baby?”

Dani cradled the shotgun in her arms like an infant, tossing him an amused look before arching an eyebrow at the settler in front of her.

“I think he doesn't want to give you what you want.”

“You know, that's what I'm hearing, too, but that can't be right.”

The settler shifted his weight, watching the two of them talk back and forth. He had clearly dealt with Raiders before, but there was something different about this one, about the pair of them. They seemed, one might say, smarter.

Dani turned fully to face the settler again, “Look,” she drawled, “I'm trying to help you here. You get to stay here, you and your family – family is important, I know – and do your thing. It's just that you're also going to do our thing. Namely feeding _my_ family down the way. Bonus: when you provide for us, you won't be touched by any other Gangs. Think of it as insurance!”

Gage dug his toe into the ground, staring down at a beetle that was fighting its way to the surface. There was something to that, but he couldn't dwell on it. His eyes flicked between the settler and the boss, smiling privately whenever he watched her do her work.

“Alright, alright. Fine. We'll make your damn tribute,” the settler spat.

Dani broke into a warm smile, “Well that'll suit us just fine. Thank you.”

She turned to walk away, inclining her chin at Gage, and he followed in line behind her. The settlers watched them disappear down the road, before sharing looks among themselves and, more sullen than before, went back to work.

“That went well. You have a way with words,” Gage offered.

“So I've heard.”

Gage looked over his shoulder, “That compound from the Operators is mighty handy.”

“Not that I need it. But I do think we'll stop by there and thank them.”

He chuckled a little, “Oh? This have anything to do with your hypothesis?”

“No,” she answered a little quickly.

That pulled a full laugh out of him, “Yeah, ok. You know, we're starting to make some real progress out here in the Commonwealth. Give it another outpost or two, and I think the gangs will fall in line real quick.”

“They'd better, Gage. Because I'll rain hell down on anyone who tries to double cross me.”

“Don't I know it,” he muttered, then louder, “you know how much I like it when you go all ruthless and bloodthirsty like that.”

“Yeah, I know,” she admitted quietly, a little bit of flirtatiousness in her voice.

A metallic-sounding thunder shuddered over the landscape, and the two shared a knowing, concerned look. Finding shelter suddenly became much more important than any conversation they might have with the leaders back at Nuka World. She didn't like the idea, but it was their best bet.

“Listen, you know about what I've done out here before. I have some spots. Nearby.”

She leveled him with a serious, thoughtful gaze, chewing on her bottom lip. If he couldn't hear, almost feel the radiation building in the air, he would have groaned and pushed her against the nearest solid structure. As it was, things were a bit more serious than that.

“How nearby?”

Dani jerked her head to the left, toward Concord and blessedly in the opposite direction that the storm seemed to be coming from.

“You have reservations, boss?”

“It's close to Sanctuary. I helped build it. I...I used to live there. Before. Before all of this. And when I came out of the vault, they were the first people I met that weren't trying to kill me. I helped them rebuild Sanctuary. I don't know. I guess in...in honor of Nate? I don't...fuck. It's built up to keep people out and keep them safe.”

“So probably not a good place for us to plan on.”

She shook her head, “I built my own place just outside. I couldn't stay there. In Sanctuary, I mean. But there was a Red Rocket just across the bridge. We can get there. And we can get there fast.”

“You sure, boss?” 

She looked uncomfortable, almost pale. He had never seen her like this before. She never seemed to care about what she left behind out here, about the Minutemen. Hell, she had returned to places that she had helped set up only to demand payment from them. She was hard and ruthless, just like he said. But something upset her about this.

“Yes,” she nodded, more emphatically than before, “I'm sure. We need to get there.”

“Alright. You know I'll go anywhere you want.”

She motioned with her head, and they started, at a quick pace, in the direction she indicated. They said nothing as they moved through Concord, moving past the corpses littered throughout. He recognized the handiwork and almost stopped in the middle of the road to admire or ask about it, but the sky was getting greener, the static almost palpable.

He filed it away to ask about later, when he was alone with his goddess of blood and fury.

They practically tumbled through the makeshift door, just as the sky darkened to the sickly green of a rad storm. They leaned against the walls, breaths coming in harsh gasps. Their eyes met, and they both laughed, Dani leaning over with mirth.

“Never a dull moment,” she giggled.

“With you? Never,” he agreed, grabbing her hand and pulling her to him.

She laughed into his kiss, wrapping her fingers around the metal bars of his armor. 

He pulled away after a few moments and took a look around, “You did all this?”

“Yes,” she breathed, moving away to turn on some of the lights around the place, “Scrapped together from what we didn't use in Sanctuary. There were a lot of things here that I was able to use.”

She moved through the small store, testing wires and moving furniture, still explaining it all to him, “It became my side project. Cleared out all of the old office furniture, bunch of old cars. I think I still have,” she disappeared through a door into what he assumed was the garage.

“Ah-ha!”

She reappeared with a few cans and boxes, “Food.”

“Come on; I've got a cooking station, too.”

It felt so unlike their normal time together. He almost thought he was intruding, except that she was welcoming and warm, in that way that she only was when they were alone.

They were halfway through dinner, laughing at one of Gage's tales of misfortune from his time before he was a powerhouse among Raiders, when the door burst open and a man dressed in colonial garb stepped in, “I don't know who you are, but you can't just-”

He cut off at the sight of Dani and straightened, though his face, if anything, became even sterner, “General?”

His eyes flicked between the two of them, and he seemed to sour, “Oh, I see.”

Dani took a step in front of Gage, “Preston. I don't think you _do_ see. Go back to Sanctuary. I have no intention of touching it.”

He didn't lift his rifle to aim it, but Gage could see that he wanted to.

“I know about what you've done, Dani,” he hissed.

That made Gage mad. No one called the boss Dani. No one. Except him, of course.

“You disappeared. Now you can't even look me in the eye, can you?”

Gage felt Dani's anger growing, but she was keeping in check, more so than she normally would. He had seen her slice through a man for taking a less heated tone with her. He also understood there was history here. Dani was ruthless, yes, and bloodthirsty, but she wasn't one to turn against an ally – current or former. Not one that she respected.

“Can't look you in the eye?” she barked, “How can you look _me_ in the eye? Do you remember what I did for you?”

“Do _you_?” he spat back.

“I remember bleeding for you. I remember paying caps for you. I remember _blowing up my son_ for you, for the _people of the Commonwealth_ ,” she hissed at him.

He took a step back, “I didn't ask you to do that. You did that with the Brotherhood.”

She sneered at him, stepping forward to make up the gap he had tried to widen, “Oh, yes, that's right. Blame the Brotherhood. Don't take any responsibility. And you weren't going to ask me to do the same thing, right? You were going to make friends with the Institute?”

Another step back.

“No, Preston, you were not. I found you – you and Sturges and Murphy and _fucking_ Marcy – and all you thought about was how I could help you. You and your Minutemen. Go save these people from ghouls, from super mutants, from Raiders. Go destroy the Institute. Burn it to the ground.”

He shook his head, “We are here to help people.”

“You are here to shape the world the way you want it. Just like the Brotherhood. Just like the Railroad. Just like the Institute. Burn it to the ground because we have deemed it worthy to burn.”

“It wasn't like that, General.”

“Oh, I'm General again, now?”

She looked at Gage.

Gage, for his part, was ready to beat this Preston guy into pulp with his bare hands. But the boss had it well under control and, what's more, it was her fight. He would never step on those toes. 

“Preston,” she breathed, her voice lowering, “you don't like the decisions I'm making now. Fine. I respect that. But here's the deal. Here are the _facts_ , the way that this is going to go down. I'm not going to touch Sanctuary. And if there are some other settlements you want left the hell alone – not all of them, but some – you are welcome to provide me a list. But I am through being your errand runner, your puppet, your _bitch_.”

The man looked crushed. Gage almost felt sorry for him. Maybe being a pile of ash on the floor would be better for him than this.

“Dani-”

“No, Preston. No. You abused my goodwill. You and everyone on this side. And I'm done now. Give me your list.”

Preston cleared his throat, “I can't condemn some of them and...you can't ask me...”

“You never thought to stop asking me.”

“Sanctuary, Abernathy, Tenpines, the Castle. Please...not the Castle.”

“I have no intention of going after the Castle, Preston. Never have.”

“Ok.”

“Ok.”

“You're still the General. I hope maybe you can come around again. Some day. But I...our friendship is over, Dani.”

“I understand that.”

Preston shook his head again, as if he was trying to come to terms with everything. He turned his eyes to her, “You know...I...” 

He looked between her and Gage, closed his mouth, then turned and walked out. He shut the door behind him, enveloping them in silence. Dani took a deep breath and seemed to crumple into herself. 

He waited a moment before speaking, “You, uh, you alright, boss?”

She nodded, took another breath, “Yeah, I'm fine.”

He cleared his throat, “He made you...I mean, you...”

She paused, rubbing her hands on her jeans, then nodded slowly, “Yes, I did. It was,” she breathed, “complicated.”

“You don't have to tell me.”

“It had been 60 years. I woke up when they unfroze us to take Sean. I saw him take the baby, saw him shoot Nate. Kellogg was his name. Then they froze me again. And then I woke up because there was some malfunction. I thought it had been minutes. Then, through a series of misadventures and blowing up the man himself, I saw in his memories...Sean as a 10-year-old boy. So I thought 10 years had passed.”

She slid down the wall, staring out at space. She shrugged, “I knew the Institute was involved, so I found a way to get there. The Brotherhood was my best bet. I did some time in the Army, just like Nate. It was easy.”

A long sigh, then she closed her eyes, “When I got there – alone – I met the man they called Father, the man who ran the Institute. He was 60 years old.”

Gage shook his head, “You're not saying.”

“60 years,” she breathed.

Gage had no idea what to do. He wasn't a feelings person. Neither was the boss. She wasn't crying, wasn't dissolving into a blubbering mess. 

“Honestly, Gage, I didn't give a shit what they were doing. I just wanted to be done. I wanted it gone. I wanted everything to burn. Everything.”

“If you want everything to burn, boss, then it will.”

She looked up at him, calm, collected, “I know that. And I know you'll help me.”

“You're damn right.”

She stood, “And anyone who doesn't help me is in my way.”

He chuckled, “Not for long, boss.”

“Let's get back to our little slice of heaven, Gage. I'm fucking tired of this place.”

“You got it, boss.”


	11. Talented Tongues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani throws her weight around a little with some of the leaders. And Gage throws her weight around in a different way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thanks again for the kudos and the comments. It's been so great to see that people enjoy my take on things.
> 
> I've enjoyed writing Dani so much that I've started on a series of one-shots...so I'll be putting up the remaining chapters for this relatively quickly, as I work on those.
> 
> Weeeeee!

“We appreciate you thinking of us out there, Overboss,” Mags tilted her head in slight deference between puffs of her cigarette.

William, as per usual, sat in his chair, leaned back casually, “We're hearing good things about the Outpost. Not to mention the way you got them supplied.”

Dani turned her eyes on him, “What did you hear?”

The siblings shared a look before Mags smiled, “Well, we heard that some of them were calling you General and that they were shocked that you came demanding tribute.”

“And you have questions,” Dani asked, her voice soft.

Soft, yes. But with an edge that could easily cut off a finger. Or a tongue. Any part of anatomy, really.

There was a beat of silence. Dani studied Mags, tilting her head and silently daring her to continue. At times the people of the Commonwealth misinterpreted “Vault Dweller” as “chump,” and Dani had decided to make it her personal mission to rectify that misconception right fucking quick. It seemed she might need to provide a lesson here.

She should give Mags more credit.

The woman shook her head, “Not at all. We're just glad to hear it seems you have a way with people.”

Dani saw, out of the corner of her eye, Gage's hand fall away from his hip. 

“Well Mags,” she muttered around the filtered end of a cigarette before lighting it, “I also have your Lizzie to thank. She made me a formula that makes people much more amenable to my requests. I wanted to come and show my gratitude in person.”

She motioned to Gage, who nodded and disappeared out the door again. Mags blinked in confusion, and William shifted in his chair. After a few moments of silence, the door opened, and Gage returned, half-dragging a man bound in handcuffs.

Dani motioned to him, “This man calls himself Sinner. Seems to think that makes him a badass.”

The siblings' eyes fell on him, then flicked back to Dani, obviously not sure what to make of this. Gage pushed the man onto his knees. He was muttering, maybe even shouting, something, but the bandana shoved in his mouth muffled any comprehensible words.

“He and some of his buddies out in the 'wealth saw fit to tell me that we were staking claim in their territory. Which is, of course, absurd, because I had decided that it was _our_ territory – a supplier for the Operators, specifically.”

Using a booted foot, she kicked the man onto his side, stepping on his shoulder blade. She leaned over her bent knee, looking almost casual, cigarette held limply in her hand. She motioned vaguely, “Anyway, while I made a point to string up the man who did the actual killing of one of yours, I thought I should bring this one back.”

Mags turned suddenly violent eyes on the man, “Who did they kill?”

Dani looked over her shoulder at Gage, then back, “Maxi, I think she went by.”

William stood at the mention of the name. Mags stepped closer. Neither made a further move, with Gage's eyes on them and the Overboss leaning over him like a lioness over a kill.

Dani removed her foot and took a step back, “I'm truly sorry, Mags, William,” she looked at them in turn, and there was genuine remorse in her eyes, “I don't aim to ever lose one of our number out there. It happened. But I won't let it go by unnoticed, unpunished.”

She dropped the cigarette on the ground, stamped it out, “So here you are. Do with him as you see fit.”

Mags kept her eyes trained on the man, and Dani could see the many ways that she was considering punishing the would-be Raider gang leader. “Thank you, Overboss,” she whispered.

William looked at Dani, gave her a stiff nod, “You did right by us. We won't forget it.”

Dani paused, nodded back, then turned, “Gage, let's head out. We need to talk to Mason, then I need to have words with Nisha.”

Gage cleared his throat, about to say something, to offer condolences. He thought better of it and followed after Dani.

“Shit, boss, pretty soon you won't even need me around.”

She shot him one of her private smiles, “Don't say that, Gage. You're still good for plenty of things.”

He grunted, but couldn't help smiling.

They weaved through the crowd that was starting toward the Operators' base. Word traveled fast in Nuka World; she had learned that quickly. While she and Gage tried to keep their own lives private, she knew that people suspected, whispered, pointed, and wondered.

She didn't care. 

The guard outside of the Pack's camp opened the door for her, giving her a nod, “Overboss.”

Dani winked and stepped inside, Gage close on her heels. She stopped by the ring, peering in at the seemingly endless dog fight. Those watching gave her a wide berth. Apparently news of her dropping that insubordinate little shit from her own base in the Fizztop Grille had gotten around, too.

After a few minutes, she was getting bored, so she made her way up to the throne that Mason liked to sit on. And there he sat, in all of his wildly painted glory, mustache as pointed and waxed as ever. She desperately wanted to ask where the fuck he found the wax to do that every morning, but she had priorities. She was responsible for keeping all of these maniacs in line. Because the world had ceased making sense 200 years ago.

“Overboss,” he purred.

“Mason, how the hell are ya?”

“I'm disappointed that the Pack hasn't gotten as much of a take beyond the mountains.”

She gave him a slow smile, “You know, that's what I like about you, Mason. You cut right to the chase. Tell me what you want. You don't sugar coat it.”

He mirrored her smile, flashing a little bit more teeth, “I know what I want,” he paused a little longer than necessary, “Overboss.”

She could feel Gage clenching his fists behind her, didn't need to look at him to know that he was feeling possessive. She also didn't need to tell him that Mason was just trying to get a rise out of him, or her, or both. And she trusted Gage not to give in.

“And I know what _I_ want, Mason. From the Pack,” she smiled again, “from you. And that is a little extra muscle to help ensure we're getting our supplies in. I asked last week, and I've yet to have anyone report to me-”

Mason opened his mouth to protest, to remind her that he sent that someone right after she asked, but she held up a finger.

“I've yet to have anyone report to me that was up to the challenge and not insubordinate. I don't need to tell you that I don't appreciate being told that Overboss is a meaningless title. I _did_ have to explain that your inferior.”

She stepped close, leaning over, hands on the arms of his throne, “And he was inferior to you, Mason,” she breathed.

From this angle, she could see his Adam’s apple bob when he swallowed.

“So here's what I need from you to get you what you want,” she continued, her voice low, intimate, “I need you to send me three virile young men who know how to take orders, understand that a pack works better as a unit, and are willing to go out there and give it the old college try.”

Mason probably had no idea what the phrase meant, but her message was clear. He swallowed again. Nodded.

She smiled, slow and knowing, before slowly leaning back away, her hands sliding over the worn wood, nails scraping the paint. He was breathing a little heavier.

She took a step back, waved at the cage, “I put a few caps down, by the way. So if I win anything, you can have them bring it up to me.”

“Yes, Overboss,” Mason managed to get out, though his voice sounded strained.

They were barely out of the gate before Gage grabbed Dani by the arm, yanking her into a dark, abandoned corner of creepy blown-out amusement park. It took her a couple of seconds, but by the time his lips were on hers, she was grinning like the cat that ate the...well, she was pretty sure canaries didn't exist anymore.

His kiss was hungry, possessive, fucking _amazing_ , and she gave as good as she got. 

It also didn't escape her that this tucked away corner was just on the other side of Mason's little throne. 

“You play a dangerous game, Dani,” he hissed in her ear before biting her earlobe, tugging it between his teeth and sucking on it for a moment. She bit her lip.

“Colter had his way of doing things, and I have mine.” She arched against him.

“And I got mine, boss,” he grunted, pulling out a switchblade. She blinked at him, trying to school her expression into one of innocence. 

He smirked, reached between them with the knife and flicked his wrist. She felt, more than heard, the fabric of the jeans rip. She would have said something about the very literal scarcity of jeans in her size these days, but she could fix them. Or not.

She said nothing, though. Partially because she really didn't give a shit and then partially – mostly – because his arms were looped under her thighs, and she found herself near floating in the air. His arms and her back were braced against the wall, and her thighs rested on his shoulders.

His hands pulled the torn fabric further apart, and she looked down to see him staring at her pussy like he had found fucking El Dorado. Then his tongue flicked out, teased her once, before making a long, strong swipe from back to front, pressing hard against her clit. She choked. He grinned.

He proceeded from there, spreading her open with his fingers, while his tongue alternated between swirling around her clit and dipping into her to get a taste. Her head fell back against the wall, and she let out a breathy moan. She knew what this was about, of course, but he would have to work to get her to moan as loudly as he wanted, to say what he wanted to hear. Nothing in this world was given freely.

When he used his teeth to gently pull at her clit, she gave a surprised, though immensely satisfied, shout, followed by a sinful groan and a string of words that she was mostly sure were English.

It went downhill, or uphill, depending on how she looked at it, from there. His tongue worked faster, harder, and her legs were starting to shake. If she looked down to see his face buried between her thighs, which were held up on his thick biceps...if she took stock of the fact that he was holding her up in the air to eat her out, well...that was about it for her.

She came with a cry of his name and a few choice words to boot. 

He bit the inside of her thigh – hard enough to leave a mark but not to make it bleed, then slowly and carefully lowered her to ground. His arms seemed to shake slightly, but that couldn't be helped. She wasn't a waif of a woman, after all.

She grabbed the front of his armor and pulled him into a wet kiss, sliding her tongue over his, feeling the silky texture of her own juices on his lips.

She took a second to catch her breath, then grinned, “What, you worried baby?”

He arched an eyebrow.

She cupped his cheek, just for a moment, “Don't worry. I only got eyes for you.”

He stared into her eyes for a moment. They were quiet, giving in, just for a second, to their feelings, allowing a little bit of that softness to show through. There was no one to see them right now, no one who would know that there was more than sex between them.

But they also weren't locked away in the Grille. Anyone could come by or read into the silence.

Gage grinned, “Well, sure...after that, figure it'd be hard to have them on anyone else.”

She barked a laugh, momentarily squeezing his hand before turning to exit the dark corner, “Damn it, Gage. Now I gotta change my pants. I can't face Nisha like this.”

He followed after her, wiping the excess moisture from his chin with the back of his hand, “Well, I don't know, boss, it might go over better than you'd think.”


	12. Some say the world will end in fire (well, yes and no)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani confronts Nisha on her group's attitude problem. Could this be foreshadowing?????

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically this chapter just sets up the smut in the next chapter. #noregrets

Dani was ruthless. Cold and calculating. But walking into the Disciples' camp, conveniently nestled at the base of her own living quarters, was always an unwelcome surprise. They felt more primitive, somehow, with their metal face plates and, frankly, strung up bodies everywhere. They were so similar to the Raiders on the other side of the mountains, the same ones that Dani had spent months (and months. And months) clearing out of wasteland hiding holes.

She felt warmth flood over her, as Gage stepped a bit closer to her. So he felt the same way, then.

Finding Nisha was both confusing and straightforward. All they needed to do was ascend the stairs, but she never seemed to be in the same place, and the hike up to the top was always filled with thinly veiled threats. 

Dani had started to understand why they wore the masks. They spoke big game, and they would string out a person's intestines to hear them scream, but they were fucking cowards, hiding behind vicious iron visages. It was easy to serve up a threat when you can hide in the sea of expressionless faces. They served as imposing figures, if the lighting was right, but once they stepped into the sun, they looked like fish people.

This was a bad time to get a case of the giggles, so she hid her snort behind her elbow.

Gage noticed, but he said nothing.

It took a lot of will power to stop imagining the metal fins on their masks waving serenely in water, or removing one of the masks to see their lips puckered like a fish. She cleared her throat and thought about how she would handle those threats instead.

She heard Nisha's calm, almost sultry voice. It was a shame that they couldn't find common ground because she kind of liked Nisha. Despite the fact that she was running a gang of over-sized, sociopathic five-year-olds.

She took a calming breath and walked into the makeshift room, announcing herself with a chipper, “Nisha. How the hell are you?”

Nisha turned from her conversation with Savoy and tilted her head, “Overboss.”

Savoy spun to see her as well, offering the same curt greeting.

“And Savoy,” Dani added, “I feel like I barely know you. I wanted to drop in and see how your parks are doing. I'm working on restoring all star control to the Galactic Zone, so if any more robots are there, we can reprogram them as we see fit.”

Nisha's head snapped to look at her. So at least Dani had their attention.

“How are you doing that?”

“Wing and a prayer, Nisha, as per usual.”

The woman grunted something that could have been a laugh. Savoy was not placated.

He stepped closer to Dani, “We've heard that you have handed an Outpost to the Operators. Unwise.”

The Overboss stared up into the metal slits, tilting her head slightly and letting silence stretch for a moment. He was facing her, but it was impossible for him to stare her down with his painted mask, and he had to realize that.

The silence stretched. When the tension built to a point that she noticed Nisha fidgeting in her peripheral, she took a deep breath and nearly whispered, “Savoy, you'll want to take a step back.”

He did.

Dani turned to the leader of this rabble, “Nisha, you might explain to your girls and boys that 5 is a number that is not divisible by 3. In other words,” she tossed in Savoy's direction, “it was not possible to evenly distribute this park amongst all of the gangs. In order to balance the scales, I have provided the Operators with an outpost.”

Savoy backed away further.

Dani watched him before turning back to Nisha, “Furthermore, if your underlings have any issue with the way that I am running things here, I want them to feel welcome to come to me.”

Nisha studied the Overboss from behind her mask, “Excuse me?”

Dani looked over at Gage – was I not fucking clear? written over her features – before turning back to Nisha, “If they don't like something I'm doing, send them to me. Rather than make snide fucking comments in passing, have them bring it straight to me. And I'll sort it out real fucking quick.”

“Are you threatening my members?”

She snorted, “Of course not, Nisha. They are not here. I am telling you to get these little shits in line. I am telling _you_ that if I hear another veiled comment about the decisions I am making, there won't be a threat, just a dead fucking Raider. I am also telling you to hold onto your goddamn panties.”

She looked over at Savoy then, “Outposts don't materialize out of thin air. They are fought and won by bodies. Mags and William offered me a group, and I took it. When the Disciples decide that they are willing to dirty their hands in the blood of the Commonwealth, well then, we'll be sitting right fucking pretty for them to join.”

She held up a finger before Nisha could speak again, “I am not here to listen to excuses or disrespect. You put in the work, you get the rewards. It is as simple as that. So you can explain to your members why they aren't running an Outpost.”

Dani motioned at Gage, turning to leave. She was halfway out the door before she looked over her shoulder, “I look forward to seeing who you send to help out.”

Then they were gone. She could feel the boiling rage behind her. That was just fine. Let them stew and fret and burn themselves up in a tizzy. Dani's rage was cold and hard, unyielding within her. 

Once outside, Dani lit a cigarette, shaking her head. She waited until Gage had lit his own before tapping the back of her hand on his shoulder, “I hate going in there. It's disgusting. They live in a metal box, and they just leave that shit lying around. It is a fucking health hazard. I should burn it to the ground on principle.”

Gage chuckled at that, “Colter loved that group.”

Indicating its close proximity to her own place, she nodded, “That's pretty obvious. If the Gauntlet and his general idea of a good time didn't give it away, this kind of makes it clear.”

They were silent on the walk back to the elevator.

After pressing the button, Dani grinned, “You didn't like the way I handled that.”

Gage blinked, “Well, first of all, it's not up to me how you run the show. Second, the Disciples respond to strength. I think you did good.”

The grinding halt of the elevator stopped him from saying more, and they stepped off. He seemed distracted, though, still, as he turned to walk into the deeper part of the Grille, maybe to work on his armor.

She didn't stop him, suspecting that he was simply lost in thought. And she felt she could use a change anyway. Confirming her suspicions, a few minutes later, she could hear the tell-tale clang of hammer hitting metal. She indulged in a private smile before heating up some water to wipe herself down.

The Commonwealth made it easy to stop caring about hygiene, but every once in a while it would get to be a bit too much for Dani, and she would want to at least wipe herself down with warm water. It served as a small tether to who she was before the war, a gentle probe into the deeper pain that she held within herself. Rinsing the dirt out of her cropped hair reminded her of her former long locks. 

She sighed, draping a sheet over her shoulders. She didn't bother putting on anything more than a shirt. She felt worn out. When was the last time she had just stopped? Even for a day?

She passed behind Gage, stripped of his armor and tinkering with it on the table in front of him. He muttered to her distractedly, as she spread the sheet on the bed inside and stashed the caps that she had collected from the Outposts earlier that day.

“You want anything to eat, babe?”

Gage barely looked up from his work, “Uh, sure.”

She nodded and disappeared into the back – the old kitchen that she had rigged up to work almost the same, although with much less electricity. She threw some stuff into a pot, not really paying attention to what, and indulged in another cigarette while she waited for it all to cook. It struck her, in that quiet moment, just how domestic it all was.

Her heart clenched.

Shaking her head to clear it, she stirred the whatever-it-was-stew and sighed, absently scratching the back of one leg with the toe of the other. She didn't hear Gage enter. He could be stealthy when he wanted to, moving much more quietly than his bulk would have one believe.

But she did hear the low, “Wow, boss, you are a real stunner,” that he breathed, as he closed the distance between them.

She smiled but didn't turn, instead enjoying his hands sliding around her, his lips caressing her neck and the roughness of the stubble on his chin rubbing on her shoulder.

“You need a shave,” she murmured.

He just grunted.

“I'll do it for you,” she offered.

“Mmhmmm, I bet. Just take a knife to me. No witnesses,” he chuckled.

She turned in his arms, dragging her lips over his jaw, “I think you'd enjoy it.”

He gave a resigned sigh, though she could feel the anticipation humming through him, “Yeah, alright, fine.”


	13. You and I as We

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani gives Gage a shave. And then their clothes fall off. Also, Dani's sweet tat is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today on "guess the author's kinks"...
> 
> I just decided to post these two chapters together because it made sense. They go together. Like Dani and Gage. :D See what I did there?

The blade made a satisfying scraping noise, as it passed over the stubble of Gage's cheek. His eyes tracked the movement of the metal as best they could at the angle. Of course, it was hard to focus on that when his impromptu barber was the Overboss, perched on his lap like some prewar pinup made badass.

She was almost done, really, but he was starting to sweat. His neck was the last bit that needed to be done, and while he trusted her, he didn't even like doing it himself. Of course she knew that, so she was taking her time, being careful. He did appreciate that. He also wanted it over with.

“Alright, look up,” she murmured, shifting to straddle him and get a better angle.

He looked up at the ceiling, tried to clear his mind. She lathered that special soap on his chin, down his neck, and he heard the gentle swish of the straight razor in the bowl of water she had set aside. He heard her blow on the metal to warm it.

The edge pressed against his neck, and he fought the urge to swallow, to jerk his head away. Scrape. Scrape. Scrape. Scrape. Pause. Swish. Scrape. Scrape. Scrape. She worked carefully around his jaw, his chin. 

“Ok. All done,” she sighed, tossing the razor onto the small table next to them. 

“How do I look?”

“Mmmmm,” she purred, “delicious.”

Her ass was resting on his knees, since sitting too close would not have helped with her task before. She lifted up, leaned forward, and swiped her thumb slowly over his jaw, her eyes staring into his. He swallowed then, felt the lather vaguely building up, then clearing away with her finger. Movement in the corner of his eye that he ignored. 

And then she kissed him. Really kissed him. Not the frantic, hungry kind that they'd shared up to now. This one was slow and thorough and deep and struck something even deeper within him. He slid his hands over her thighs, stroked up to her hips, under her shirt. She wasn't wearing anything under the shirt. Fucking fuck, she was trying to kill him. In the slowest, most delicious way possible.

She pulled away from him, leaning down to one side to tug on his ear with her teeth, then trailing kisses and bites down his neck. He tilted his head to the side, then back, as she moved around to the front. He felt fingers wrap around his biceps, couldn't help flexing them just a little in response. He felt her smile against his skin.

This felt different. He didn't know what was happening, exactly, but he was unbelievably turned on. Her hands slid up his shoulders, his neck, to rake fingernails through his mohawk, and she leaned over him again for another way-too-intense kiss. But he didn't pull away, either, instead responding in kind, his hands wrapping around and sliding up her back, feeling the curve of her spine, counting her ribs.

“Gage,” she whispered after a moment, “take me to bed, baby.”

Her wish was his command. He returned his hands to her thighs, wrapping around them to lift her when he stood. She wrapped her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck, planting more open-mouthed kisses along his sternum and clavicle.

The bed was all of four steps away, so he leaned over to plant her on the mattress, taking the opportunity to tug on her shirt until she removed it, leaving her entirely bare before him. She slid to the end of the bed, pushing the hem of his shirt up his abs, her fingers tracing along his skin, and her mouth following. He took over the removal of his own shirt, when it became clear that she was preoccupied with leaving marks on his skin, tracing long-forgotten scars with her fingers and tongue.

He choked on any words that came to the surface anyway, unable to tear his eyes away from her tender attention to his abdomen and chest. She nipped at his Iliac crest, just above the waistband of his leathers. His eyes snapped to hers, understanding the gesture, which was only reinforced by the fire behind her eyes. She backed away to let him remove his clothes, leaning back to watch him.

He did so quickly, aware of her eyes tracking his movements.

She crooked a finger to bring him back to her. He was rock hard, and she reached out, wrapping her fingers around the base of his cock when he was close enough. He grunted when she gave a slow pump, looking up at him again.

She gave a low hum, her fingers trailing down to his balls, cupping them and tugging gently. He squeezed his eyes shut, biting into his lower lip. Fuck, fuck, fuck, she was too good to him. He didn't deserve the woman in front of him, not in a million years, but somehow she had decided that he was what she wanted and – all thoughts ceased when his cock was surrounded by wet and heat, and her tongue was sliding up and down underneath. He could feel himself shaking.

He chanced a look down.

That was a mistake. She was looking up at him. Immediately after watching himself disappear into her mouth – near completely, fucking hell – their eyes met. He groaned, low and deep. It vibrated through him. She rolled his balls in her palm.

“You're killing me, Dani” he managed to get out in a low whisper.

She sucked harder.

He brushed her cheek with one hand, the other leaning slightly on her shoulder. She nuzzled into his hand just slightly, so he left it there, letting his longer fingers brush over her neck, her throat. 

His head fell back again, though he could feel her movements beneath his hands, feel it when she swallowed around him. He hadn't given her enough credit, even in his wildest fantasies. But there was more building up right now than his desire. He pulled away slightly. 

Sensing he wanted her to stop, Dani pulled back and looked up at him, questioningly.

“Scoot back, darling,” he murmured.

She did as he asked, pulling away from the edge of the bed. He crawled onto the bed with her, moving above her, holding himself up with one hand, while the other traced from her neck down the valley of her breasts, the plane of her stomach, and finally between her thighs. He spread her legs slightly with his knee, sliding his middle finger up her slit. She was wet already, but that didn't stop him from drawing a firm circle around her clit with his thumb.

She bit her lip. He leaned down to take that same lip between his teeth.

His middle finger slid into her, and she sighed against him. He pulled it out and replaced it with middle and forefinger, still working her clit with his thumb, as she arched against him. His gaze swept down her body, “You are somethin' else,” he muttered.

“Hmmm, I want you.”

He studied her face, the way her mouth had dropped open, her eyes hazy, “I want you, too.”

She arched against him again, her breathing heavy. He kept up his work, leaning down to kiss her, reciprocating her firm approach earlier, pressing her into the mattress with his weight. Her hands flew up, nails digging into his arms, as she moaned against his lips.

He felt a faint flutter against his fingers, and he grinned, “There you go.”

He pulled his hand away, pushing her thighs further apart before fully positioning himself between them. He leaned on his elbows, one on either side of her face, and he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, kissing her again.

He grunted slightly when she grabbed his cock and pressed it against her entrance, pushing her hips up. He couldn't deny her something she wanted, of course, so he pushed into her. She let out a low gasp before cupping his face and bringing it down to hers to kiss him again.

This was _definitely_ different. He felt like he was floating and falling all at once. He slid one hand down her side, wrapping around her thigh and bending her leg, holding it against his side. She wrapped the other one around his leg, using it as leverage to move with him.

Time stopped. There was only Dani – her lips, her hands, her thighs, her heat and warmth wrapped around him. Her gasps, her murmured praise, her moans were the only sounds. He buried his face in her neck, breathing her in, leaving soft kisses against her skin. 

She stroked the back of his neck, causing him to look up, just as she used the strength of her hips and thighs to flip them over. She reseated herself on him, bracing her hands on his chest, as she began to roll her hips against him. 

From his new vantage, he could see her curves, watch the way her breasts bounced with her movement. He slid his hands up and down her sides, tucking his thumbs into the crease at her hips, wrapping his fingers along their curve. He squeezed, not harshly, but enough to convey his appreciation of her body.

He came unexpectedly – at least it seemed like it. They were coated in sweat, Dani panting above him, and it was darker outside. But somewhere between her flipping them over and another soft, though impassioned kiss, he lost all control. His grip tightened, and he held her down firmly on top of him, spilling inside her with a grunt. She slowed her movements, then stopped, taking deep, calming breaths herself.

When he was spent, he pulled her down to him for a final soft touch against her lips, fingers trailing over her body reverently.

“Dani,” he started, not entirely sure what he wanted to say.

She looked up at him from her spot on his chest.

Feeling suddenly at a loss for words, he sighed, then settled his eyes on her back. He had seen the tattoo before, briefly when she had changed and then in more detail in the Combat Zone. He wanted to say something.

“What is this?” he asked quietly, tracing the lines of the winged woman on her back. She shivered at his touch, so he raised an eyebrow in question to that.

“It's sensitive,” she explained, then nestled back against him, “That is a Valkyrie. They were,” she paused, thinking through how to explain, “they were part of mythology. The ancient Norse culture believed that to die in battle was the only way to reach Valhalla – essentially heaven. After a battle, the Valkyrie would come down to Earth and select those who had been chosen. They were angels of battle.”

“What made you get it?”

He continued lightly tracing the shape, content with the topic, if not the excuse for continued physical intimacy.

“Between growing up around gang members and then the army, I've always been surrounded by violence, people being killed. So it seemed like a good thing to believe in. Maybe if I could invoke the Valkyrie, then I can be assured a place in Valhalla, too.”

He gave a thoughtful hum in response, leaning down to kiss the top of her head, “It suits you.”

She hummed as well, planting a kiss over his heart, but saying nothing further. She slid off of him to nestle against his side, tracing the scars on his chest idly until she fell asleep. The sky continued to darken outside, and that suited Gage just fine.


	14. When one door opens, another one closes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maxson tracks down his erstwhile Sentinel; it goes better than Dani would have dared hope. But luck was never one of her special skills.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahaha. Special skills. Get it?
> 
> Two more chapters after this that kind of go together.
> 
> Maxson is a little bit OOC, but whatevs. 
> 
> I'm rushing through posting this now because I started on a new multi-chapter thing, in addition to a few one shots. And since this is technically done...it's just easier this way.

There are some sounds that you never forget. For Dani, those were the sirens just before the bomb, the gunshot that ripped into Nate, the explosion that destroyed the Institute, and the sound of a vertibird. She stood up abruptly from her task at the workstation, holding up a hand to silence the young Pack member that was bringing her scrap metal.

“Where's Gage?”

“He's out back, chopping up that wood.”

She nodded, “Grab a weapon, but do _not_ step outside unless I signal it. You tell the others the same. And son, if you fail to follow these very simple orders, you will not live to regret it. You won't have that chance.”

“Yes, boss.”

She wiped her hands on the leather jacket she was wearing, grabbed her weapon-du-jour and stepped out on the porch of the house they were trying to rebuild. Gage met her in front of the house; he had heard it, too.

“I sent the pups inside,” she informed him, then paused, “I have a feeling...”

She trailed off. She didn't want to make him jumpy. She could be wrong, after all. It could be a standard patrol. They were around the coastal place all the time, taking pot shots at their outpost. An ongoing skirmish that honestly bored her. But there were no telltale signs of the minigun, no sharp pangs of a laser pistol. 

And that generally meant one thing.

She stayed Gage with a hand, as the giant machine landed in the yard, its engines still running.

“ _Fuck_ ,” she hissed, watching the imposing figure step out of the bird. She knew it. Knew it well.

Arthur Maxson – Elder to those in the Brotherhood – strode toward her, his gait the same as ever. His piercing blue eyes studied the scene, studied Gage, before falling on her. If he disapproved, it wasn't evident, but then very little was with him. If she had been standing there with a super mutant and ghoul, it might be a different story.

“Sentinel,” he addressed her, coming to a stop a yard away, arms folded behind his back.

She was surprised at how strong her urge to snap to attention was. She hated that. But she fought it successfully, “Maxson.”

The two men studied one another in the moment of silence that followed before she turned slightly toward Gage, “This is Gage. Gage, Elder Maxson.”

Gage offered a nod. Maxson stiffened.

“Sentinel, you haven't reported to the Prydwen in some time.”

“Nor do I intend to,” she replied evenly.

“I see.”

“I'm sure you do.”

Maxson paused, studying the house behind them, studying Gage once more, then practically rolled his eyes, “I know you're not settling down here, building a homestead to push out a few pups. I've also heard the rumors, about you leading a Raider gang beyond the mountains.”

Dani grinned, “Just one?”

Maxson sighed, the sound of a man who was at the edge of his patience, “I cannot condone that behavior.”

“It's not for you to condone, sir. As you yourself pointed out, I haven't been on the Prydwen for some time.”

“You know what I meant.”

“I do. And I have elected to ignore your pretension, your ongoing megalomania, your strange belief that you own the Commonwealth. You do not. Nor do you own the people of it.”

“Let me guess; you do?”

Dani grinned, “Well, not all of them.”

Maxson was not so amused, “The Brotherhood will not sit by and allow you or any other group to abuse-”

“Oh, _please_ , Arthur. Step off your goddamn high horse. You don't give a shit about the people here, and that's fine. They don't want you to.”

“Do not take that tone with me,” he hissed.

She stepped closer to him, her voice not much louder than his, “I'll take whatever tone I please, _sir_. The Commonwealth doesn't want you here. Your troops don't want to be here. The Institute is _gone_ , and it's time you were, too.”

“Are you threatening me?”

Another step, “A threat would be me telling you that I'll climb into that blimp and blow you all to hell. That's not what I said. I said you've overstayed your welcome, and it's time to go back home. Shit, Arthur, your war is over.”

They stared each other down. Behind her, Dani heard Gage adjusting his grip on his weapon. Time slowed. She respected Arthur Maxson – she really did. Compared to the impetuous leader of the Disciples or the wet noodles that were more common in the 'wealth, he would be someone she'd appreciate counting as an ally. But he had hard and fast rules; he did not break those rules. There was no chance for them to work together. Not anymore. Damn shame.

Understanding passed between them, and Arthur was suddenly human, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Honestly, Dani, I hate it here.”

She barked a laugh at that, and Gage blinked because he thought, for a second, Maxson smiled, “Fuck, don't I know it.”

He sobered quickly, “You understand I can't just pull out of here.”

She gave him an incredulous look.

“We still have boots on the ground, Sentinel. It's going to take some time. But,” he sighed, shook his head, “we won't get in your way. We have enough problems as it is. And I want to get back to the Capital.”

She grinned, “You need to get laid.”

He shot her a sharp look, but he didn't deny it, either. Just shook his head, waved in dismissal, “Stay off my ship.”

Dani responded with a smart salute, which he ignored, making his way back to the vertibird. She was surprised. She was shocked. She was confused. But she showed none of it. She watched the bird take off, then turned to Gage, “What the fuck just happened?”

He blinked, “I was going to ask you.”

“I just got lucky?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it. She knew better. She did. And it was only a few moments after that that she saw Shank making his way quickly toward her. Gage turned and watched him approach as well, “I think you should not have said that, boss.”

Shank's tight expression made it clear that she had pissed off someone, and she sighed.

“Overboss,” he started.

“I shouldn't have said that,” she agreed with Gage.

Not understanding what she meant by that, Shank continued, “You need to get back to Nuka World. I've received a report that the Disciples are going rogue. They've stormed the power plant, trying to take control.”

“Those sons of bitches,” Gage hissed, “after everything we've done for them, they turned on us like this?”

Dani wasn't necessarily surprised, though she had tried to give Nisha a little more credit. She wasn't even angry so much as...at peace. She had a very clear goal now. She would wipe out the Disciples. No one would speak the name again. No one would remember them. 

“We'll head there now, Shank. Thank you. Handle things on this side until I send you word.”

“Go rip through those dogs, Overboss,” Shank muttered.

She flashed him a smile, “Don't worry. This time tomorrow, I'll be wiping smeared Disciple off the bottom of my boot.”

The man didn't smile back. He shuddered but gave a nod. There was doubt in his mind that she was being literal.

“Oh, Shank, let the boys in there know they can come out now. Gage, let's head out.”

“Right behind you, boss,” he nodded to Shank, falling into step behind her.

They were on the road before he caught up to her, “What's the plan?”

Dani looked over at him, “We'll meet with the other leaders. I want to make sure that they are still with us. And I need to look them in the eye to do that.”

“Good thinkin'.”

“Then we'll go into the power plant and wipe them all out. Every last one of them. The world will not remember the Disciples.”

Gage smiled, “I hope I never piss you off, boss.”

She smiled back. She was too practical to say that he never could piss her off. That simply wasn't true. But she hoped that he saw she was not always heartless. She had spared Preston and Maxson. He knew. 

The journey back was quiet and tense. She felt weighed down for the first time since agreeing to this whole Overboss thing. This was the source of her anger. Well, it contributed. First, of course, was the betrayal. She could forgive that, though; she herself had betrayed many. Nisha and her group were only human.

The scab that she couldn't stop picking, however, was that sense of responsibility. This was her freedom. This was her shaking off the chains of the expectations of society. And they were taking actions that _required_ reaction. She couldn't let this slide. Not only on principle, but the other leaders would perceive it as weakness.

She clenched her fist, letting it bounce against her knee.

“They won't get away with this,” Gage offered quietly. 

She looked across at him. His expression was the strangest combination of soft and hard – rage was there, but his eyes held hers, offering support.

“I know they won't. It's just...the fucking nerve.”

“Look, I want you to know that if this ever becomes, well, an obligation, I won't hold you to it.”

Dani nodded, “I know.”

“And I wouldn't . I mean...I would go with you.”

That _did_ surprise her, at least a little. She searched his face for some sign of, not dishonesty, but maybe uncertainty. There wasn't a shred. She nodded again but said nothing, just reached out and slipped her fingers between his. They each gave a squeeze, then dropped their hands.

The train was pulling into the station, and Dani had to put on her game face.


	15. I think I know enough of hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani and Gage arrive at Nuka World to meet up with the loyal leaders and begin retaking the power plant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second to last chapter, and what a ride it's been!

Upon arriving in the park, it became clear that things were unsettled. The bullets whizzing past their heads kind of gave that away. The boss went into a veritable fit a of rage, charging into one of the Disciples full-speed. The woman was unprepared for that, and she fell with a hard thud from the impact of Dani's shoulder. Then Dani swung her new favored weapon – a sledgehammer wrapped in barbed wire – down on the woman's face.

The other attacker stopped immediately, but the damage had been done. You simply didn't double cross the Overboss. Gage finished him with a bullet between the eyes. It was a mercy, really.

One of the Operators stood, surprised, from behind the cover they had been holding. The movement had Dani jumping, but she recognized the garb immediately, “Where are they?”

At her snarling tone, the man took a step back, pointed, “There's an old shop just before you get to the power plant. They went there to wait for you. Overboss.”

She pointed behind the man, “Gather the others, bring them. Bring some of the Pack, too. If they argue, you tell them they will look like this if I even suspect they are insubordinate.”

The man nodded and backed away to follow his orders.

With no one around anymore, she lowered her weapon, her voice having dropped some, “Gage, you know where he's talking about?”

“Yeah, boss, c'mon.”

It wasn't a long trek, he knew, and Dani was doing real well on her own, but he had been doing this much longer than her. He waited until he knew no one would overhear, then wrapped fingers around her arm, tugging to get her to stop.

She did, turning to him with concern, “What is it?” Her eyes darted around.

“Dani, listen to me. You are doing everything right here, but you are on a very sharp edge, and I need you to back down just a little.”

Her eyes narrowed, “Back down?”

“From the edge,” he explained patiently, squeezing her arm, “because that edge is where mistakes are made.”

Her eyes remained on him, so he continued, “I realize I haven't known you as long as some others out here, but I think I know you pretty well. And I know that you do best when your rage runs cold – ice fucking cold, boss. You are at your best when you wrap yourself around it, and it sits in you like a rock.”

She took a deep breath.

She had beautiful eyes, he thought suddenly. Now wasn't the time, damnit, man.

“You're running too hot right now is all. And I don't...a mistake in there,” he waved his gun toward the plant, “will cost a lot. It'll cost more than I'm willing to part with. You understand me?”

She swallowed and gave him a nod, taking another deep breath, “I understand.”

“You ain't some peon on the battlefield anymore. You _are_ the Valkyrie.”

That got her attention. Her eyes focused on his, clear and piercing, cold. She stood a little straighter. She reached up with the arm that he still held and clasped his as well, squeezing his bicep. They stood for a couple of heartbeats like that, weighing their options, the situation. They were out in the open, someone might see them like this, but they were walking into a storm, and neither knew what really awaited them.

Gage pulled her closer, leaned down, and brushed his lips against hers. It wasn't really a kiss, but he hoped it got the message across before he pulled away and turned, “It's this way, boss.”

He was happy to follow, but in this instance, he took point. He elected not to read into his decision to do so. He didn't have the time, anyway. The old convenience store was coming into view. 

Mags, William, and Mason were waiting inside. 

Dani took charge immediately, “What the _hell_ happened?”

The three gang leaders shared a look before Mags answered, “Overboss, the Disciples felt that you were favoring the Operators and the Pack.”

Mason grinned, “You chose wisely.”

Her look silenced him.

Mags continued, “So Nisha decided to take matters into her own hands, and she's taken a group of Disciples with her to take control of the power plant.”

“That bitch,” Dani muttered, “Ok. Before I move forward, I need to know that your groups are loyal. If I so much as think about suspecting that one of you will turn-”

“We are loyal, Overboss. You've provided for the Operators. You brought us the one responsible for Maxi.”

Mason grunted, “The Pack isn't going to run against you, that's for damn sure.”

William spoke up then, “So what are we going to do about Nisha, boss?”

Dani blinked, “You mean before or after I kill her with my bare hands?”

Mags smiled at that, “That's what we were hoping to hear. We're behind you all the way.”

For Gage, he couldn't think of a time that he been more proud. His gamble had paid off. Not only that, but it brought returns he never anticipated. Mags gave him a knowing smile, and he frowned at her. Damn. Needed to reign himself back in a little. They were on the move.

The road to the plant was quiet, except for the distant sound of shots being fired up ahead. Dani led the group, sledgehammer in hand, Gage behind with his rifle, then Mason, and finally the siblings covered them from the back.

The first Disciple ran forward, charging without knowing what the hell he was running into, most likely. He ran face-first into the heavy end of Dani's swing. There was a crunch, a spray of crimson, and then he fell back. 

The rest was very much a blur. The group moved quickly through those outside. Operators and Pack members that were still standing fell in line with them, so their group had grown by the time Dani kicked open the doors.

She was a machine. Gage, of course, had seen her in action many times. He could anticipate her moves and respond accordingly, covering her from above, when she jumped onto a lower level to get her hands dirty. 

The others had no idea, though. He heard the sniper rifles stop shooting for a moment, when Dani descended two levels of cat walks, jumping, catching herself on the railing of the next level, before dropping to the ground. Some of the Disciples ran. Others were stupid and approached. Mason leaned over the edge of the stairs that he had been descending to watch the boss's ferocity.

When the room was clear, she motioned down a hallway, “Let's go.”

The gang leaders fell in behind her, more than a little awe and fear in their eyes. And, yeah, _this_ was Gage's proudest moment. 

The plant itself felt like a maze of walkways, rooms, and fighting, but she led them inexorably through, paving a bloody path for them. When they came to the roof access door, it was Mason that stopped her, pulling her back by the shoulder. She almost swung at him, stopping when she recognized the face.

“Boss, you know it's going to be the shit up there. Just want to make sure you're prepared. You've taken a few hits already.”

The blood lust cleared enough for her to nod, “That's a good point. Everyone, look over your weapons – reload if necessary, check your armor and your neighbor's armor.”

Mason grinned, “Don't got any of that, but I'm ready.” 

Mags and William followed her orders, checking over one another quickly.

Gage approached Dani, unsure if she would welcome his hands on her with others around. He waited for her to act first, which she did, automatically, tugging on his chest plate, turning him to make sure his bracers and other armor were still firmly attached. When she was finished, he returned the favor, pulling on straps and buckles, tightening where needed and checking wounds and bruises that were forming. 

If his fingers lingered anywhere, no one mentioned it. He saw Dani skirt her eyes to the side, and she looked like she was solving a calculation in her head before she grabbed his armor again and pulled him against her for a kiss. It was short, but it was heated. It was a just-in-case, and he savored it as best he could with an audience. The group still wisely said nothing.

“Let's go,” Dani said when she pulled away.

She opened the door to the roof.


	16. For destruction ice is also great and will suffice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani deals with the backstabbing gang leader, and stands victorious over her new-found kingdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a ride it has been! Thank you, everyone, for reading, for the kudos, for the comments. It has kept me going through a few rough days, and I truly appreciate it.
> 
> With this story over, I am going to start posting the next - Potions. But I won't spoil it!! Unless you follow me on Tumblr and already saw the excerpt. In which case...oops. :D

She had to have taken a few shots. The hail of bullets was unrelenting, at least for the first few seconds of their assault. Dani never assumed it would be easy; the Disciples were cowards, but they were blood-thirsty ones. 

Having Mags and William as backup was brilliant, though. They each took a corner of the door's alcove and took careful shots, eliminating one target after another. Mason, like her, ran into the fray, though he was much louder about it, shouting and howling and drawing a crowd.

That worked for her just fine. She was able to sweep in after him and knock the sons-of-bitches away while they were distracted. And Gage followed behind her, steady as ever, shot after shot.

Nisha herself had taken higher ground. A good tactic, but ultimately useless. 

Dani knew the leader would fight to the last breath, would lash out more violently at the end, just like any wounded animal. Just like any dumb shit who realized too late their grave miscalculation. 

The gunfire and shouting had diminished – Mags's and William's guns continued to fire, and Mason was letting out a string of curses against the betrayer. Nisha screamed back, accusing Dani of having betrayed the Disciples.

She didn't respond. She simply continued forward. 

Nisha stopped firing, grabbing her knife instead, “I was hoping it would get personal,” she spat.

Still Dani said nothing.

“I assumed you would either send in your slaves here or try to just shoot me down.”

More silence, except for the steady thud of Dani's heavy boots on the metal walkway.

Nisha screamed and ran at her, brandishing her knife. Dani could see that she was skilled with the blade. She had assumed as much. But she had a sledgehammer with more reach, more power. It was slow, but one didn't need to be fast when a single blow could serve up a concussion and maybe even permanent damage.

Dani swung. Hard. 

The metal end of the hammer rang against the metal armor on the woman's shoulder. Nisha grunted, her left arm going limp. But she was right handed, and she still adjusted her grip to swipe at the Overboss. The blade caught Dani on the chin – closer than she would have liked, but Nisha had still missed her target.

Dani ducked away, bringing her hammer down low to scrape against the ground before swinging straight up. Nisha had followed through on the motion of her swipe – clearly; she _was_ good with a blade, after all – so her arm was caught from beneath by the hammer.

She screamed, and the sound of bone snapping was almost drowned out by the furious and pain-filled cry.

Nisha backed away. Her left arm was numb, but it was still usable. She grabbed for another knife.

“You can't kill all of the Disciples. Savoy will find you.”

Dani dropped her hammer and ran into Nisha. The woman sprawled backwards, unable to catch herself, unbalanced from the pain in her arm. The impact with the walkway caused her mask to fly off, skittering away uselessly. She struggled underneath the Overboss, but it was useless. Dani was stronger than she looked, heavier than Gage made her seem.

Nisha reached up with her left hand, but Dani caught it, twisted it, hard, until she pulled away.

And then her hands were around the other woman's throat, squeezing, her eyes staring down at Nisha.

Only then did she speak, “You were dead the moment the thought of betraying me entered your mind, Nisha. Face it. You misjudged. You were impatient, and you think yourself above _my_ law. But you are not. You are so beneath me. You may as well be a common settler, compared to me.”

Nisha choked, her face turning red, then beginning to pale. Dani's crip only tightened, though her fingers screamed in protest.

“Savoy is welcome to come find me. I will put him in the ground. Along with the rest of your fucking band. The world will forget you ever existed. Shit, I already have.”

Tiring of the slow process, Dani let her go.

Nisha coughed, choked on the air returning to her lungs. But she only had a short time of discomfort.

Dani retrieved the knife that the woman had dropped and sliced across her throat. The blade was sharp; it cut smoothly.

“I'm keeping this,” she muttered, standing from the woman's body.

She turned and looked down at those waiting. Mags's eyes were wide – maybe she didn't believe Dani would do it. William had looked away. Mason was grinning like the savage beast he was.

But her eyes burned into Gage, who was looking at her with awe and pride. 

She descended the stairs to join them, and they came together as a group, eyes skirting back up to the corpse of their former rival, blood pooling beneath her and dripping down to the concrete below the walk.

“Well,” Mags started, “you certainly followed through.”

“You doubted me?”

It was William's turn to settle tension, “Overboss, the only thing we can believe is what we see. And we've seen it now. You did right by us all, and we won't forget it.”

“As long as you don't forget us,” Mason cut in.

Dani turned her eyes on him, “Have I yet, Mason?”

He cleared his throat, “No, you haven't.”

“We're not done. There's still the Disciples camp.”

“We'll send our best in,” Mason offered, “clear it out real quick.”

Mags spat, “And take everything for yourselves? Over my dead body. The Operators will clear it.”

“You'll clear it together, or I'll do it myself. You need to get it into your heads that we split things evenly here. If you have an issue with that, you're welcome to join Nisha. Otherwise, fall the fuck in line. And for fuck's sake, come to me with a complaint. _Calmly_. And we can sort it out.”

Dani shook her head, “Fuck, it's like dealing with children.”

She turned away, stomping back up the stairs to the power switch, “I'm turning power on. Send your troops in. But I want Savoy _alive_. I will deal with him myself.”

“Yes, Overboss,” the three said in near unison.

They dispersed, gathering those of their gangs that survived and splitting the spoils. Dani leaned against the console and sighed, her limbs beginning to tremble, as the adrenaline wore off. She heard his footfalls behind her.

“You alright, boss?”

“I'm good, Gage. You think they'll fall in line now?”

“I know they will. You made it very clear that you are the deciding factor in their lives. Shit, boss, like I said, you are the Valkyrie.”

She nodded, grinned at the reference, then went silent again for a moment.

“Thank you,” she breathed, “for everything.”

He stepped next to her, looking down at her face, “What?”

She motioned vaguely out the window at the park below them, “This is home, Gage. Since I came out of that Vault, I've been trying to belong, trying to fit in somewhere to try to start over in the shitty remnants of my past. Dancing on that line of giving in and giving up, trying to navigate the mix of anarchy and social niceties that exist, and it's just...”

She trailed off, shaking her head. How could she explain it to him? The world she knew was gone. Forever. Watching the last vestiges of society try to cling to the way things were before was disheartening. Even disgusting. They had blown themselves up, the civilized people of yesteryear. Everything was taken from her. She didn't want to keep giving, not anymore.

“This is home,” she repeated.

He was silent for a moment, and she could feel his eyes on her. She turned to look at him, studying his expression. His face. He gazed at her, reached out to stroke her cheek, swiping away a drop of blood with his thumb, “Good.”

He pulled her close, leaning forward to take her bottom lip between his; she almost lost her balance, reached out to steady herself, her hand falling on the big button in the center of the console. Lights began to spring to life all over the park below them; fireworks started shooting off.

He didn't seem to notice. But then, neither did she.


End file.
